Navy hands over health facilities to Lagos government

The Nigerian Navy has handed over a newly built Dental Clinic and Heart-to-Heart Centre to the Lagos State Government for the Ikate Primary Health Centre in the Ikate-Elegushi area of the state.

The Navy said the facilities, which were inaugurated on Wednesday as part of its civil-military cooperation and community intervention initiatives under the Chief of the Naval Staff Special Intervention Quick Impact Project Scheme, would expand access to specialised healthcare services for residents of the community and surrounding areas.

Representing the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, at the ceremony, the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Abdullahi Mustapha, said the Navy regarded community development as an important component of its civil-military cooperation efforts.

Mustapha said the Chief of the Naval Staff would have attended the ceremony but was unavoidably engaged in matters of national security.

He said the intervention reflected the Navy’s commitment to supporting projects capable of improving the welfare of communities.

“The Nigerian Navy recognises that the security and prosperity of our nation are strengthened when communities are empowered through meaningful development,” he said.

According to him, the Special Intervention Quick Impact Project Scheme was established to address critical community needs while fostering stronger relationships between the Armed Forces and the people they serve.

He described the newly commissioned facilities as timely, noting that improved oral healthcare, access to antiretroviral therapy and counselling could contribute to the quality of life and socio-economic development of residents.

Rear Admiral Mustapha urged members of the community to protect and maintain the facilities to ensure that they remained useful to present and future generations.

He also commended the project facilitator, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, for identifying the healthcare needs of his community and using the opportunity provided by the Chief of the Naval Staff’s intervention scheme to facilitate the project.

According to him, Ferreira’s commitment to the development of the community was reflected in the successful completion of the facilities.

“Leadership is most meaningful when it positively impacts the lives of others,” he said.

The FOC also acknowledged the contributions of the Lagos State Government, the traditional institution, Eti-Osa Local Government Area, community leaders, contractors, the project team and other stakeholders involved in the project.

He said the collaboration demonstrated that partnerships between government institutions, the military and local communities could produce interventions capable of supporting sustainable development.

Mustapha further assured that the Nigerian Navy would continue to support initiatives aimed at promoting peace, security, development and social cohesion across the country.

He congratulated the people of Ikate-Elegushi on the commissioning and expressed the Navy’s hope that the facilities would provide healthcare benefits to residents for many years.

The Dental Clinic is expected to improve access to oral healthcare services in the community, while the Heart-to-Heart Centre will provide an environment for HIV-related counselling and antiretroviral treatment services.

The commissioning represents another intervention by the Nigerian Navy under its civil-military cooperation programme, with an emphasis on addressing community needs beyond the Navy’s conventional security responsibilities.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the ceremony by the Special Adviser on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, said the intervention underscored the importance of making essential healthcare services accessible within communities.

Ogunyemi said healthcare delivery should not be limited to the construction of hospitals, but should also focus on ensuring that residents could obtain essential services close to where they live.

She said the new dental facility would provide residents with access to oral healthcare and encourage early treatment of dental conditions, while the Heart-to-Heart Centre would improve access to counselling, prevention and treatment-related services for people living with or seeking care for HIV.