The Federal Government has announced plans to conduct 25,000 free cataract surgeries across Nigeria by the end of 2027 as part of efforts to reduce avoidable blindness and improve access to quality eye care.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this in Abuja during an event marking the 2026 World Sight Day.
Salako, who was represented by the Director of the E-Health Division, Mrs Doris Afam-Aneke, said the initiative would be implemented under the government’s Renewed Hope Health Connect programme to restore sight and improve the quality of life of Nigerians.
He explained that the government was strengthening eye care services nationwide by integrating primary eye care into the country’s healthcare system, particularly at the community level.
According to the minister, more than 1,400 primary healthcare centres have been activated to provide essential eye care services, while over 3,000 healthcare workers have been trained across 16 states to improve the prevention, early detection and management of common eye conditions.
He added that the government had distributed more than 1.5 million pairs of prescription spectacles to Nigerians in 16 states through the Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative, also known as Jigi-Bola 2.0.
Salako further disclosed that more than 1.5 million school-age children had been screened for visual problems under the School Eye Health Programme, with those requiring further attention referred to appropriate health facilities.
He said the government was also planning to establish four additional vision centres in Enugu, Edo, Sokoto and Nasarawa states to strengthen specialised eye care services and improve referral systems.
The National Coordinator of the National Eye, Ear and Sensory Functions Health Programme, Oteri Okolo Eme, said more than 80 per cent of visual impairment in Nigeria was avoidable, stressing the need to expand access to preventive and treatment services.
Eme also revealed that the government was developing protocols for newborn eye screening to support the early detection and treatment of conditions that could lead to visual impairment.
She urged state governments, development partners, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders to increase investment in eye care and encourage Nigerians to undergo regular eye examinations.
The Federal Government said the interventions were aimed at ensuring that more Nigerians, particularly vulnerable populations and underserved communities, could access affordable eye care services regardless of their financial circumstances.
