HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF NIGERIAN NAVY REFERENCE HOSPITAL CALABAR
The idea of the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital (NNRH) Calabar was conceived in 1976, while construction began in 1980 under the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. The project was later handed over to the Ministry of Defence in 1994, but work stopped in 1995 and the site remained abandoned until 2012, when the Naval Headquarters resumed construction to ensure completion.
The hospital project was included in the Nigerian Navy Transformation Plan (2011–2020), and construction resumed in April 2015. The facility was completed in December 2017 and officially commissioned on 26 June 2018 by President Muhammadu Buhari, while medical services commenced on 30 July 2018.
NNRH Calabar provides a wide range of clinical services including general outpatient care, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, internal medicine, paediatrics, ophthalmology, physiotherapy, dental care, radiology, laboratory services, dialysis, and public health services. The hospital is equipped with modern medical facilities such as MRI, CT scan, mammography, digital X-ray, advanced laboratory systems, and dialysis equipment, making it one of the most advanced medical facilities in the Calabar area.