Behind the crisp uniforms and stoic salutes of the Nigerian Navy’s 70th anniversary celebrations lies a quieter, more urgent battle—one fought in the minds and hearts of those who serve and those who wait for them. The Naval Officers’ Wives Association (NOWA) has thrown open the doors to this conversation, declaring mental health and etiquette as non-negotiable pillars of operational excellence and family stability.
Speaking at the maiden SHINE seminar in Lagos, NOWA President Mrs. Aisha Iddi-Abbas did not mince words. “Mental health is not a luxury; it is the foundation of operational effectiveness and family stability,” she told a packed hall at the Naval Dockyard in Victoria Island. Her voice carried the weight of lived experience as she posed questions that hung in the air: “How many officers return home carrying invisible wounds? How many spouses smile through anxiety and loneliness? How many children are forced to grow up faster than they should because duty calls?”
The seminar, themed SHINE—an acronym for Self-control, Humility, Integrity, Inner Balance, Nurturing Relationships, and Emotional Stability—marked a deliberate shift in focus. While the Navy’s seven decades of safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial waters were celebrated, Mrs. Iddi-Abbas insisted that true strength is measured not only in firepower but in the resilience of the families who anchor the force. “Wives of naval officers are the first line of emotional support,” she said. “They are anchors in the storm.”
Lagos State’s First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, a medical professional herself, drove the point home with clinical precision. She warned that many who appear physically healthy are battling silent emotional and psychological struggles. “In medicine, we often say there is no health without mental health,” she said. “You may undergo annual medical screenings and everything appears normal, yet your mental health may be affected by environmental, family, cultural, marital or social pressures.” Her prescription was simple: sometimes, the best medicine is a listening ear. “Half of the healing begins the moment the patient opens up.”
Dr. Sanwo-Olu also urged participants to instill patriotism and vigilance in young Nigerians from an early age, noting that security is everyone’s responsibility. She praised NOWA for exposing over 100 young participants to military formations, an experience she said broadens horizons and nurtures future leaders.
Resource person Ambassador Martin Goreng-Sen took the stage to dissect protocol and etiquette, reminding attendees that seemingly small details—seating arrangements, speaking order, even handshakes—are the threads that hold the fabric of order and respect together. “Observing these conventions ensures harmony in every engagement,” she said.
The SHINE seminar was more than a workshop; it was a declaration that the well-being of those who serve and the families who stand behind them is indivisible. As the Nigerian Navy marks 70 years of safeguarding the nation’s waters, NOWA’s message is clear: a formidable fighting force must also be a mentally resilient and culturally refined community.
