The Nigerian Navy has intensified its community engagement efforts with a large scale medical outreach organised by NNS BEECROFT in Apapa, Lagos, as part of activities commemorating the Navy’s 70th anniversary celebration.
The medical and children’s health rhapsody took place at the Nigerian Navy Primary School, Mobil Road, Apapa, on Tuesday, drawing hundreds of pupils, parents and residents from surrounding communities.
Commander of NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, said the initiative reflected the Navy’s commitment to humanitarian services and civil military cooperation.
He explained that the outreach was designed to cater for underprivileged children and vulnerable families within the command’s host communities.
According to him, the programme focused heavily on child healthcare, including deworming exercises for pupils and the distribution of mosquito nets to children below the age of three.
The Commander disclosed that the outreach would also provide free medical consultations and medications for parents diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes and other ailments.
He noted that drugs being distributed included antibiotics, anti malaria medications, antihypertensive drugs and oral hypoglycemic treatments.
Adams Aliu stated that both children and adults were being attended to with appropriate medications, including syrups and tablets tailored to different age groups.
He added that severe medical cases requiring further treatment would be referred to the nearby Navy Reference Hospital for advanced care and follow up attention.
The NNS BEECROFT commander revealed that about 674 pupils of the school and nearly 300 parents had been registered to benefit from the exercise.
He said the total number of beneficiaries was expected to reach approximately 1,000 people before the end of the programme.
Adams Aliu explained that the Navy deliberately chose to focus on children this year because many pupils of the school are from neighbouring civilian communities and not necessarily naval families.
He described the initiative as part of the Nigerian Navy’s broader non kinetic operations aimed at strengthening public trust and deepening relations with host communities.
Tracing the history of the Navy, the commander recalled that the Nigerian Navy was established on June 1, 1956, as an offshoot of the Royal Navy and has grown into one of Africa’s strongest maritime forces.
He said the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, had directed commands and units nationwide to give back to their communities as part of the anniversary celebrations.
Under the directive of the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustapha, NNS BEECROFT selected the historic primary school for the outreach exercise.
The naval commander stressed that the initiative would not end with a single event, assuring residents that more schools within the community would benefit from similar programmes in the coming weeks.
A parent, Mrs. Martina Iheagwam, expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Navy for extending free healthcare services to both pupils and parents.
She said she attended the outreach because her son is a pupil of the school and commended the Navy for sustaining programmes that positively impact families.
Also speaking, the PTA Chairman of Nigerian Navy Primary School, Mobil Road, Mr. Oluwasegun Kelani, described the intervention as timely and beneficial to the health of children, parents and the wider Apapa community.
Kelani disclosed that the school, founded in 1976 as the first welfare primary school of the Nigerian Navy, would celebrate its 50th anniversary in June.
He praised the leadership of NNS BEECROFT for selecting the school for the exercise and reaffirmed the commitment of the management to maintaining a healthy and clean environment for pupils.