FG, Private Sector Seek Sustainable Funding to Transform Eye Care Nationwide
The Federal Government has called for stronger and more strategic private-sector investment in eye health as part of efforts to reduce preventable blindness, improve productivity and strengthen Nigeria’s human capital.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made the call at a Public-Private Sector Roundtable on Eye Health held in Abuja with the theme, “GIFT of Sight: Mobilising Partnerships and Sustainable Funding towards Transforming Eye Care in Nigeria.”
Salako said eye health should no longer be treated solely as a health-sector issue, stressing that good vision is essential to education, workplace productivity, economic growth and national development.
According to him, about 24 million Nigerians currently live with vision loss, much of which is associated with preventable or treatable conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, uncorrected refractive errors and digital eye strain.
He urged businesses in the banking, manufacturing, telecommunications, energy and other sectors to regard investment in eye health as both a social responsibility and a strategic economic decision.
The minister called on the private sector to explore innovative financing mechanisms, including blended finance, social impact funds, co-financing arrangements and concessional loans, to expand eye-care infrastructure and improve access to quality services.
He also urged companies to direct their Corporate Social Responsibility investments towards structured national programmes, including school eye-health initiatives, rural surgical outreaches and permanent community-based eye-care centres.
Salako further encouraged telecommunications companies to leverage digital infrastructure to expand tele-ophthalmology, remote screening and mobile diagnostic services across the country.
He challenged Nigerian manufacturers to reduce the country’s dependence on imported eye-care products by investing in the local production of spectacle frames, lenses, ophthalmic medicines and other essential consumables.
According to him, increased domestic production would make eye-care commodities more affordable and accessible, while creating jobs, strengthening local supply chains and supporting Nigeria’s broader economic development objectives.
The minister highlighted progress under the Federal Government’s JigiBola 2.0 initiative, saying the programme, in partnership with stakeholders, had delivered more than two million free eye screenings and 1.5 million free spectacles within just over one year.
He added that more than 2,200 Primary Health Care workers had been trained, while over 800 PHC centres had been activated to provide primary eye-care services across 16 states.
Salako said the next phase of the initiative would extend services to more than one million Nigerians in an additional 10 states, while the Renewed Hope Health Connect initiative is targeting 25,000 free cataract surgeries by 2027.
The minister commended existing private-sector interventions, particularly the longstanding partnership between First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation, which he said had reached more than 400,000 Nigerians.
He urged other corporate organisations to replicate such initiatives to address the eye-health needs of Nigeria’s population.
Salako reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, to creating an enabling policy environment for sustainable public-private partnerships in eye health.
He also called on development partners and civil society organisations to continue providing catalytic support, technical expertise and innovation, while encouraging Nigeria to move from donor-dependent interventions towards a locally financed, sustainable and accountable eye-health system.
He stressed that, “a nation cannot march into economic prosperity if it is walking blind.”
In her opening remarks, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FCMB, Mrs. Yemisi Edun, represented by Dr. Diron Olojo, described eye health as more than a medical concern, saying it is critical to education, productivity, economic inclusion and human dignity.
Edun said preventable and treatable visual impairment continued to affect individuals, families and communities, noting that gaps in awareness, skilled personnel, equipment and access to services must be addressed through sustained collaboration.
She highlighted FCMB’s partnership with the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation through the Priceless Gift of Sight Initiative, launched in 2009.
According to her, the initiative had provided free eye-care services to more than 400,000 Nigerians by July 2024 through eye testing, optical services, surgeries and disease management.
Edun said the experience had demonstrated the value of long-term partnerships in delivering sustainable health impact.
She reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to expanding access to eye care and urged stakeholders at the roundtable to agree on three practical priorities: identifying communities and services with the greatest unmet needs; developing sustainable financing plans with clearly defined responsibilities; and establishing delivery timelines and measurable indicators for accountability.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator, National Eye, Ear and Sensory Function Health Programme, Dr. Oteri Okolo, said the gathering was aimed at confronting the broader value of vision to human dignity, development, prosperity and social potential.
In her presentation titled, “The True Value of Vision – Transforming Health, Economy, and Human Potential,” Okolo said eye health had historically been treated as a secondary priority compared with other areas of healthcare.
She stressed that vision was not a luxury but a fundamental means through which people learn, work, communicate and navigate their environment.
Okolo said the National Eye, Ear and Sensory Functions Health Programme had made progress in integrating eye health into the broader national health architecture.
“Our strategic focus has been guided by the National Eye Health Policy and Strategic Plan, with Integrated People-Centred Eye Care (IPCEC) as our strategy, ensuring that eye care is not an isolated specialty, but an essential component of Universal Health Coverage (UHC),” she said.
In a goodwill message represented by Prof. Joy Shuaibu, Country Director, Sightsavers and Coordinator, Eye Health Non-Governmental Development Organisation (NGDO) Coalition, the coalition commended the leadership of the National Eye, Ear and Sensory Function Health Programme for engaging relevant stakeholders in the sector.
The coalition urged participants to focus on actionable solutions, innovative financing and scalable partnerships capable of accelerating progress towards universal access to eye-health services across Nigeria.
Similarly, the Head of Vision Care for Development Foundation, supported by Sterling Oil, Mimansa Shulala, described the roundtable theme as timely, stressing that restoring sight was not only about healthcare but also about restoring opportunity, dignity, productivity and hope to underserved communities.
She said the foundation, with support from SIPCON and Tulsi Chanrai Foundation, had screened more than 17,000 people in underserved communities over the past two and a half years.
According to her, more than 3,000 people requiring intervention had been identified, while over 1,500 cataract and related surgeries had been facilitated.
She added that more than 1,000 surgeries had been conducted in partnership with Tulsi Chanrai Foundation at its Calabar facility.
Shulala said the foundation’s objective was to strengthen government systems, build local capacity and develop a model that could be sustained and scaled.
“This is the strength of public-private partnership, where government provides leadership and system, SIPCO and Sterling Oil provide support and resources, TCF brings expertise and technical knowledge, while VCDF channels the programme to the community.
“When these strengths come together, we will move beyond individual interventions to build sustainable solutions for communities,” she said.
The roundtable brought together government officials, healthcare providers, private-sector organisations, foundations, development partners and other stakeholders to strengthen collaboration towards a more accessible, equitable and sustainable eye-care system in Nigeria.
