The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has called on civil society to strengthen cooperation with the Nigerian Navy, the Armed Forces, and other security agencies to eliminate threats to national security and collective well-being.

Abbas made the call while unveiling a block of four fully furnished classrooms at Orhueren Central School, Ozalla Community, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State. He was represented at the event by the Flag Officer Commanding, Nigerian Navy Logistics Command, Oghara, Delta State, Rear Admiral Abiodun Alade.

The project, unveiled on Tuesday, was executed under the Nigerian Navy’s Special Intervention Quick Impact Project, an initiative aimed at deepening civil–military relations.

According to the CNS, the Special Intervention scheme was launched in 2024 to strengthen the Navy’s mandate for civil–military cooperation and support the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Traditionally and globally, civil–military cooperation encompasses activities and interactions between the military and civil society towards the accomplishment of missions and strategic objectives,” Abbas said.

He noted that, beyond safeguarding lives and property, the Nigerian Navy remains committed to serving Nigerians through community-focused interventions, such as educational infrastructure development.

“These projects are avenues for the Nigerian Navy to honour its accomplished senior officers and demonstrate our commitment to national development beyond security operations,” he said.

Abbas described the classroom project, facilitated by Rear Admiral James Okosun, an indigene of Ozalla Community, as another milestone in the Navy’s civil–military engagement efforts.

“Today’s project, the construction of a block of four classrooms, aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision and captures the essence of the Navy’s Special Intervention Quick Impact Project,” he added.

He commended Rear Admiral Okosun for siting the project in his community and urged beneficiaries to make good use of the facilities, expressing hope that it would improve education and quality of life in the area.

Earlier, Okosun explained that the project was conceived with the future of the youth in mind.

“We looked at education as a key requirement to ensure that the youth of today remember us tomorrow. We initially considered a secondary school, but since a project was already ongoing there, the palace directed us to this primary school,” he said.