FG Moves to Tackle Avoidable Blindness, Targets 5 Million Nigerians for Free Reading Spectacles
…Salako announces 25,000 subsidised cataract surgeries by 2027, 15,000 health workers to receive training
The Federal Government has announced ambitious plans to expand access to eye care services across Nigeria, targeting more than 25 million vulnerable citizens in its renewed efforts to eliminate avoidable blindness.
Under the initiative, the government plans to distribute five million pairs of ready-made reading spectacles and provide 25,000 fully subsidised cataract surgeries by 2027.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, announced the commitments at the closing session of the Global Summit for Eye Health held in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.
According to the minister, the Federal Government will also train 15,000 primary healthcare workers and strengthen the integration of Primary Eye Care into the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
Salako, who spoke on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said the intervention would prioritise women, older persons and people living in rural and underserved communities.
He further disclosed that Nigeria was targeting a 20 per cent increase in its active eye care workforce and a 30-percentage-point improvement in Effective Cataract Surgical Coverage (eCSC) by 2030.
The minister described eye health as a fundamental human right, warning that preventable vision loss has far-reaching consequences for education, family welfare, personal safety and national productivity.
He recalled Nigeria’s experience with the JigiBola eye care programme introduced in Lagos State about 25 years ago, noting that the initiative had inspired the development of the national Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative, popularly known as JigiBola 2.0.
Salako said his personal involvement in the original programme as a young medical officer gave him an appreciation of how state-level interventions could be expanded into national health programmes.
He also identified Nigeria’s participation in the World Health Organization’s Global Cataract Surgery Initiative, otherwise known as SEE 2045, as an important step towards tackling cataract-related blindness.
The minister, however, emphasised that achieving the targets would depend on sustained government funding, stronger partnerships with the private sector, international cooperation and accountability.
He called on participating countries and development partners to move beyond declarations and ensure that the commitments made at the summit translate into tangible improvements in access to eye care.
Salako also congratulated Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Tanzania and China for their contributions to advancing the global eye health initiative.
He disclosed that about $60 million had been pledged towards assistive technology, while 15 private-sector commitments worth more than $468 million had been secured to accelerate eye care implementation.
Additionally, approximately 143 commitments had been received from organisations outside government.
The minister commended the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the World Health Organization, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and other stakeholders for their contributions to the summit.
He urged all stakeholders to ensure that the commitments made were translated into sustainable national programmes, stressing that the real success of the initiative would be measured by the number of people who regain their sight or have their vision protected.
