The Nigerian Navy has commissioned a 10,000-litre solar-powered borehole and a renovated secondary school in Gidan Mutum Daya, Kusada Local Government Area of Katsina State, as part of its intervention to improve basic services in the community.
The projects, executed under the Chief of the Naval Staff Special Intervention Quick Impact Project Scheme, were commissioned on Friday by Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, who was represented by his deputy, Faruk Lawal.
The intervention also included the provision of classroom desks, additional toilet facilities, white marker boards and teaching and learning materials for students of the Community Day Secondary School.
The projects were executed in honour of Rear Admiral Aminu Abdullahi, an indigene of Gidan Mutum Daya and Director of Ship Spares at the Naval Headquarters.
Representing the governor, Lawal commended the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, and the Nigerian Navy for extending the intervention to the community.
Radda said the provision of solar-powered water infrastructure alongside the renovation of the school demonstrated how military institutions could contribute to improving living conditions in communities where they operate.
“The Nigerian Navy has demonstrated that security goes beyond kinetic operations. Security is also about building trust with communities, responding to critical social needs and creating conditions in which people can live, learn and prosper,” he said.
The governor said the water project would help address a basic need in the community, while the rehabilitation of the school would support the state’s human-capital development priorities.
He said the intervention was also consistent with the administration’s broader approach to combining security measures with investments in education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure and economic opportunities.
Earlier, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, represented by the Director of Planning at Naval Headquarters, Rear Admiral Adamu Yahaya, said the Navy recognised that security was strengthened when communities were empowered and their basic needs addressed.
Yahaya said the Chief of Naval Staff Special Intervention Quick Impact Project Scheme was designed to respond to critical needs in underserved communities while strengthening trust and cooperation between the military and civilians.
He said the Gidan Mutum Daya project reflected the Navy’s commitment to supporting communities through interventions in education, healthcare, water, sanitation and other basic infrastructure.
According to him, the school was comprehensively renovated and equipped with desks, additional toilet facilities and white marker boards to provide a more conducive environment for learning.
He said the 10,000-litre solar-powered borehole was provided to improve access to water and promote better hygiene within the community and school environment.
Yahaya said the projects were executed in honour of Rear Admiral Abdullahi, who facilitated the intervention after the needs of the community were identified.
Also speaking, Abdullahi said the projects were selected based on identified needs in Gidan Mutum Daya and urged residents to protect the facilities and ensure their continued maintenance.
“The initiative is aimed at strengthening the bond of trust between the Nigerian Navy and the people, as building robust civil-military cooperation remains an important component of the Navy’s engagement with communities since 2004,” he said.
The commissioning ceremony also featured the distribution of reading and writing materials, mathematical sets, school bags and other learning materials to students of the school.
The development comes as Katsina continues to face challenges linked to access to basic infrastructure in some rural communities, particularly in areas affected by insecurity and limited public services.
The solar-powered water project is expected to provide a more reliable source of water without depending on conventional electricity supply, while the renovated school is expected to improve the learning environment for pupils and teachers.
Radda urged residents to take ownership of the facilities and protect them from damage to ensure that they continue to serve the community.
He also assured the Nigerian Navy of the state government’s continued support for military operations and other lawful security activities in Katsina.
West Trybe reports that the Gidan Mutum Daya project combines two basic community needs—reliable water and a functional learning environment—with the Nigerian Navy’s broader civil-military engagement strategy. The solar-powered borehole, in particular, provides an alternative to conventional electricity-dependent water systems while supporting access to water in the rural community.
