The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, on Friday, October 3, 2025, commissioned a newly built and fully furnished block of six classrooms donated to the Nigerian Military School (NMS), Zaria, by the Nigerian Navy.
Received by the Commandant of NMS, Brigadier General Owoicho Ejiga, the Naval Chief described the gesture as both an honour and a nostalgic homecoming, recalling his days as a proud “Ex-Boy” of the institution.
“As an Ex-Boy, I take pride in the fact that many of us who once marched on this Parade Ground have gone on to serve the nation in diverse capacities. This is proof of the transformative power of the training, mentorship, and regimentation that NMS has always embodied,” Ogalla said.
The event featured a colourful parade in slow time, quick time, and silent drill, which the CNS hailed as a reaffirmation of the school’s enduring traditions of discipline and precision.
In addition to the classrooms, Ogalla also commissioned a solar streetlight project donated by the NMS 86 Set. He later joined the Boys of the school for lunch and interacted with them, encouraging them to remain committed to excellence in both academics and military training.
Highlighting the Navy’s investment in military education, Ogalla emphasized closer collaboration between NMS Zaria and the Nigerian Navy Military School, Ikot Ntuen, Akwa Ibom, which was established in 2018 to inspire young people to pursue naval careers.
The ceremony attracted senior military officers and dignitaries, many of them proud alumni of NMS. Among them were Rear Admirals Ibrahim Dewu (Chief of Policy and Plans, Nigerian Navy), Ayo Olugbode (Hydrographer of the Federation), DF Mathew, SJ Bura, EO Ferreira, B Iyalla, and HD Zakaria, among others.
Commandant of NMS, Brigadier General Ejiga, described the occasion as a historic moment for the school, noting that the intervention by the Nigerian Navy and its alumni would continue to enhance the institution’s legacy as a centre of discipline, patriotism, and academic excellence since its establishment in 1954.