NUTEKPOR, GHANA – U.S. Navy Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1 Detail Gulf of Guinea and local leadership from the village of Nutekpor and South Tongu District, Ghana broke ground on a new three-room school house, March 23, 2023.
The new facility will replace the old elementary school in the village of Nutekpor, adding classroom space and improving student-to-teacher ratios, increasing the overall quality instruction for underserved populations of Nutekpor, Ghana.
“We are very grateful for the gift of the school by the U.S. Navy and by the Seabees,” says Mr. Benjamin Agbeyesu, an assemblyman representing the village of Nutekpor at the South Tongu District.
To conclude the ceremony, Lt. j.g. Quinn Parlier and Chief Utilitiesman Benjamin Waits were joined by Agbeyesu, Nutekpor Village Chief Torgbe Martin Agbenyadzi, Nutekpor Basic School Headmaster Johnson Amedzo, and one elementary student to break ground for the project.
After the project had officially begun, the people of Nutekpor then invited the Seabees to join a ceremonial dance and a game of soccer, along with food and drinks.
Doing construction projects alongside the Ghanaian Navy, Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC) and in the village of Nutekpor, has proven to be an invaluable opportunity to practice general engineering in the Gulf of Guinea region of Africa and deepen partnerships working alongside Ghanaian allies.
The Seabees have been joined by Ghana Army, 48th Engineer Regiment and 8th Engineer Support Battalion (USMC) in construction of the Nutekpor Basic School.
The new Nutekpor Basic School will be complete in June 2023.
NMCB 1 is forward deployed to execute construction, humanitarian assistance, and theater security cooperation in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Sixth Fleet areas of operation in direct support of CTF 68.
22NCR provide command and control of Naval Construction Forces in U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility in direct support of CTF 68.
CTF 68 headquartered in Rota, Spain, commands all Navy Expeditionary Forces in U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility and is responsible for providing EOD operations, naval construction, expeditionary security, and theater security efforts in direct support of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and U.S. Sixth Fleet.
For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.
Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR.