The Federal Government says it has activated more than 1,400 primary healthcare centres across the country to provide basic eye care services and reduce avoidable blindness.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this in Abuja during an event to mark the 2026 World Sight Day, themed, “The Value of Vision: Investing in People, Productivity and Nigeria’s Future.”
Represented by the Director of E-Health Division, Mrs Doris Afam-Aneke, the minister said over 3,000 healthcare workers had been trained across 16 states to improve early detection and referral of eye conditions.
He added that more than 1.5 million pairs of prescription spectacles had been distributed through the Jigi-Bola 2.0 initiative, while over 1.5 million school-age children had been screened for visual problems.
The government also plans to conduct 25,000 free cataract surgeries nationwide by the end of 2027 and is establishing four additional vision centres in Enugu, Edo, Sokoto and Nasarawa states.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of the National Eye, Ear and Sensory Functions Health Programme, Dr Oteri Okolo Eme, said more than 80 per cent of visual impairment in Nigeria was avoidable.
She called for increased investment in eye health, regular eye examinations and early detection of vision problems, particularly among children.
The event also featured the unveiling of Nigeria’s National Eye Health Commitments aimed at expanding access to affordable and quality eye care services.
