BRIEF HISTORY OF NOWA

The Naval Officers' Wives Association (NOWA) came into being on 30 November 1965 under the leadership of Mrs Anne Wey, wife of the first indigenous Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey of blessed memory. It started as a small "Tea Group" for light-hearted discussion by wives of naval officers to kill boredom because of the regular absence of their husbands to sea and also as a forum of rendering assistance to wives of naval ratings in and out of the barracks. It was and still is a forum where social problems relating to the less privileged in the society are discussed and where contributions are made to assist the needy.

NOWA has provided the opportunity for social interaction, which facilitated the promotion of love, harmony and co-operation among naval officers' wives and their families. These noble principles have guided the activities of the association with various degrees of emphasis.
In the last 4 decades, NOWA has recorded a number of achievements in its efforts to compliment the efforts of the Nigerian Navy in welfare-related projects in the barracks. These are in the areas of education, charitable ventures, economic empowerment, health and social services as well as sporting activities.


RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS

The incumbent head of the Association, Hajia Fatima 0 Adekeye assumed leadership of NOWA on 1 August 2005 as the 15th National President. Since assumption of office, she has demonstrated a strong determination to reposition the Association to greater heights.
Accordingly, in the last two years NOWA under her leadership has touched the lives of many people in one way or the other through her care, benevolence and sense of human feelings. Some of these achievements are:

• Renovation of Day Care, Nursery and Primary School in Navy Town, Ojo including sinking of boreholes.
• Complete facelift and commissioning of NOWA National Secretariat at Abuja.
• Building and Commissioning of Day Care, Nursery and Primary School at Okokomaiko, Lagos.
• Building and Commissioning of 8-classroom block and Science Laboratories as well as refurbishing of the Library and Home Economics department at the NOWA Secondary School, Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos.
• Building and Commissioning of 6-classroom block at the NOWA Day Care, Nursery and Primary School at Ikot Ansa, Calabar.
• Building and Commissioning of Day Care and Nursery School as well as Secretariat at Offa.
• Renovation and conversion of the NOWA Vocational Centre at Mobil Road Barracks into a model Day Care and Nursery School.
• Foundation-Laying Ceremony of an ultra-modem Shopping Mall at Okokomaiko, Lagos.
• Foundation-Laying Ceremony of NOWA Primary School at Borikiri, Port Harcourt.
• Promotion of love, harmony and co-operation through counseling and organiiation of social activities like hosting of Valentine Night for officers and spouses.
• Organisation of social activities for children and families of naval personnel like End-of-Year parties.
• Enormous contributions to the welfare of the needy e.g. motherless children, handicapped and disabled people, the poor and the aged.
• Donation of Relief materials to victims of fire disaster in Navy Town and payment of school fees of their children.
• Sponsorship of members to attend seminars, conferences, symposia and other enlightenment programmes related to the welfare of women, children and families in general.
• Promotion of camaraderie through sports in form of organizing regular Novelty Football Matches between NOWA WEST and NOWA EAST.
• Sensitisation lectures on HIV/AIDS to create the much-needed awareness on the dangers of the deadly diseases along major cities in the country.