FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TARGETS 25 MILLION NIGERIANS FOR EYE CARE, PLANS FIVE MILLION FREE READING GLASSES AND 25,000 CATARACT SURGERIES BY 2027

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TARGETS 25 MILLION NIGERIANS FOR EYE CARE, PLANS FIVE MILLION FREE READING GLASSES AND 25,000 CATARACT SURGERIES BY 2027

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TARGETS 25 MILLION NIGERIANS FOR EYE CARE, PLANS FIVE MILLION FREE READING GLASSES AND 25,000 CATARACT SURGERIES BY 2027

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced an ambitious nationwide eye health initiative aimed at extending affordable and quality eye care services to more than 25 million vulnerable Nigerians by 2030.

The programme is designed to tackle avoidable blindness, improve access to vision correction and strengthen the country's healthcare delivery system, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

The commitment includes the distribution of five million pairs of reading spectacles and the provision of 25,000 fully subsidised cataract surgeries by the end of 2027.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, announced the commitments during the closing session of the Global Summit for Eye Health held in St John's, Antigua and Barbuda, on November 2, 2026.

According to the Minister, the initiative represents a significant step towards making eye care more accessible to Nigerians, especially women, older citizens and people living in communities where specialist medical services remain difficult to obtain.

EYE CARE TO BECOME PART OF PRIMARY HEALTHCARE

A major component of the Federal Government's plan is the integration of Primary Eye Care (PEC) into Nigeria's Primary Health Care (PHC) system.

Under the proposed arrangement, essential eye care services will increasingly be made available at community-level healthcare facilities, reducing the burden on Nigerians who currently have to travel considerable distances to access eye examinations and treatment.

The government also intends to train 15,000 primary healthcare workers to identify common eye conditions, provide basic eye care support and refer patients requiring specialised treatment to appropriate medical facilities.

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This approach is expected to improve early detection of eye diseases, reduce complications and ensure that people receive treatment before manageable vision problems become serious or irreversible.

The government further plans to integrate primary eye care services into the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), an existing financing mechanism intended to strengthen access to essential healthcare services across the country.

FIVE MILLION READING GLASSES AND 25,000 CATARACT SURGERIES

One of the most significant aspects of the programme is the commitment to distribute five million pairs of ready-made reading spectacles.

Millions of Nigerians experience difficulties with near vision, particularly as they grow older. For many, the inability to afford appropriate spectacles affects their ability to read, work, participate in business activities and carry out routine household responsibilities.

The proposed distribution is expected to address some of these challenges by making affordable reading glasses available to people who need them.

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In addition, the government has pledged to provide 25,000 fully subsidised cataract surgeries by 2027.

Cataracts occur when the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy, resulting in blurred vision and, in advanced cases, blindness. Although cataracts are a major cause of avoidable blindness, surgery can restore useful vision for many affected individuals.

The proposed intervention is therefore expected to offer renewed opportunities for thousands of Nigerians who have lost their sight or experienced severe visual impairment because of cataracts.

These commitments build on the Federal Government's Renewed Hope Health Connect initiative and the Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative Nigeria, popularly known as JigiBola 2.0.

GOVERNMENT TARGETS 20 PER CENT GROWTH IN EYE CARE WORKFORCE

Beyond the immediate provision of spectacles and cataract surgeries, Nigeria is also targeting a 20 per cent increase in its active eye care workforce.

The government equally plans to increase its Effective Cataract Surgical Coverage (eCSC) by 30 percentage points by 2030.

These targets are intended to address the shortage of qualified eye care professionals and improve the availability of surgical services across the country.

The Minister emphasised that expanding eye care services requires more than medical facilities and equipment. It also demands adequately trained personnel, sustainable financing, effective referral systems and stronger collaboration between public and private healthcare providers.

JIGIBOLA 2.0: BUILDING ON AN EXISTING SUCCESS

The new commitment draws inspiration from the original JigiBola programme introduced in Lagos State approximately 25 years ago.

The earlier initiative provided free eye screening, spectacles and cataract surgeries to beneficiaries.

The Federal Government is now seeking to build on that experience through JigiBola 2.0, transforming an intervention with roots in Lagos into a broader national eye health programme.

Previous government disclosures have highlighted progress under the initiative, including the distribution of more than 1.5 million pairs of reading spectacles and the screening of millions of Nigerians.

The programme has also supported the activation of primary healthcare facilities and the training of healthcare workers to improve grassroots eye care delivery.

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS AND GLOBAL SUPPORT

Nigeria's commitment was announced at the Global Summit for Eye Health, an international gathering focused on strengthening global cooperation towards preventing avoidable blindness and expanding access to quality eye care.

The summit brought together governments, international health organisations, development partners, philanthropic institutions and private-sector stakeholders.

Dr Salako disclosed that philanthropic organisations had committed approximately $60 million towards assistive technology, while 15 private-sector commitments represented investments exceeding $468 million for accelerating eye care implementation.

He also highlighted approximately 143 additional commitments from organisations outside government.

Nigeria's participation in the World Health Organisation's Global Cataract Surgery Initiative, known as SEE 2045, is another important component of the country's international engagement.

The initiative seeks to accelerate efforts to eliminate cataract-related blindness through expanded access to quality surgical services.

The government has consequently called for stronger partnerships with international organisations, state governments, healthcare professionals and private-sector investors to ensure that the commitments translate into practical results.

WHY THE INITIATIVE MATTERS TO NIGERIANS

The importance of the programme extends beyond healthcare.

Poor vision can affect virtually every aspect of human development, including education, employment, economic productivity, personal independence and road safety.

For a schoolchild who cannot see the classroom board clearly, an undiagnosed vision problem can become an obstacle to academic performance.

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For farmers, artisans, traders, drivers and other working Nigerians, impaired vision can affect their ability to earn a living and perform everyday tasks safely.

Older citizens with untreated cataracts may become increasingly dependent on family members, while the cost of treatment can place additional financial pressure on households.

The Federal Government's proposed intervention therefore recognises eye health as an important component of national development rather than merely a specialised medical concern.

Available estimates cited in reports on Nigeria's eye health indicate that approximately 24 million Nigerians were living with some form of vision loss in 2020, with about 1.3 million people experiencing blindness.

IMPLEMENTATION, FUNDING AND ACCOUNTABILITY REMAIN CRITICAL

Despite the ambitious targets, the success of the initiative will depend largely on effective implementation.

The government will need to ensure that the promised spectacles reach the intended beneficiaries, that subsidised cataract surgeries are accessible across different states and that primary healthcare workers receive the necessary training and support.

Equally important is the need for transparent beneficiary selection, proper monitoring, adequate medical supplies and reliable referral arrangements.

Rural communities, low-income households, persons with disabilities and older Nigerians must not be left behind.

The government will also need to demonstrate how public resources, private-sector investments and international partnerships will be mobilised to finance the programme sustainably.

Without adequate funding and measurable accountability, the commitments could remain ambitious policy declarations rather than tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

CONCLUSION: A MAJOR OPPORTUNITY TO PROTECT THE SIGHT OF MILLIONS

The Federal Government's plan to extend eye care services to more than 25 million Nigerians represents an important opportunity to confront one of the country's often overlooked public health challenges.

The promise of five million reading spectacles, 25,000 subsidised cataract surgeries, improved primary healthcare integration and an expanded eye care workforce could significantly improve the quality of life of millions of citizens.

However, the real measure of success will not be the number of announcements made at international conferences but the number of Nigerians who actually receive affordable examinations, appropriate spectacles, timely treatment and sight-restoring surgery.

For millions of people living with preventable or treatable vision problems, the initiative offers hope that access to quality eye care may no longer be determined solely by their financial circumstances or geographical location.

Ultimately, protecting the sight of Nigerians is an investment in education, productivity, independence, human dignity and national development.