The Federal Government has called for increased private-sector investment in eye care, warning that limited access to affordable diagnosis and treatment continues to expose millions of Nigerians to preventable blindness and visual impairment.
With about 24 million Nigerians living with vision loss, according to figures cited by the government, authorities say sustainable funding and stronger partnerships are needed to expand services, particularly in underserved communities.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made the call at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, stressing that eye health should be treated as a national development priority rather than the responsibility of the health sector alone.
He explained that poor vision affects education, employment, productivity and household welfare, noting that children with undiagnosed eye conditions may struggle in school, while adults with visual impairment could experience reduced productivity and financial difficulties.
According to Salako, conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and uncorrected refractive errors continue to affect the quality of life of millions of Nigerians, despite the availability of interventions for many eye conditions.
He urged businesses in banking, manufacturing, telecommunications, energy and other industries to invest in eye health through innovative financing arrangements, including blended finance, social impact funds, co-financing and concessional loans.
The minister also encouraged companies to channel their corporate social responsibility funding into long-term programmes such as school eye-health initiatives, rural surgical outreaches and permanent community-based eye-care centres.
He said the goal should be to move beyond one-off screening exercises and build a system capable of providing consistent diagnosis, treatment, referrals and follow-up care.
While free screenings and surgical outreaches can help identify patients and provide immediate relief, Salako noted that many people still struggle to afford treatment after being diagnosed.
He called on private investors, development partners and civil society organisations to support the expansion of eye-care infrastructure, strengthen local capacity and help Nigeria transition towards a sustainable, locally financed system.
The government is also seeking to improve access through its JigiBola 2.0 initiative. According to Salako, the programme has provided more than two million free eye screenings and 1.5 million free spectacles in just over a year.
He added that more than 2,200 primary healthcare workers had been trained, while over 800 primary healthcare centres had been activated to provide basic eye-care services across 16 states.
The next phase of the initiative is expected to extend services to more than one million Nigerians in an additional 10 states.
The Renewed Hope Health Connect initiative is also targeting 25,000 free cataract surgeries by 2027.
However, the minister stressed that expanding and sustaining these interventions would require adequate funding, trained personnel, functional equipment and reliable supply chains.
Salako commended the partnership between First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation, which he said had reached more than 400,000 Nigerians through eye-care services.
The initiative, known as the Priceless Gift of Sight, was launched in 2009 to provide eye-care support to people in need.
In her opening remarks, FCMB Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Yemisi Edun, represented by Dr Diron Olojo, described eye health as an essential part of education, economic inclusion, productivity and human dignity.
Edun said the partnership had provided free eye testing, optical services, surgeries and disease management to more than 400,000 Nigerians by July 2024.
She called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders, urging participants to identify communities with the greatest unmet needs, develop sustainable funding plans and establish clear targets and accountability measures.
The Head of Vision Care for Development Foundation, Mimansa Shulala, also highlighted the importance of partnerships in reaching underserved communities.
She said the foundation, with support from Sterling Oil and other partners, had screened more than 17,000 people over two and a half years, identifying over 3,000 people who required further intervention and facilitating more than 1,500 cataract and pterygium surgeries.
Shulala said the foundation also worked with the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation at its Calabar facility to provide surgical services.
She explained that the partnership model combines government leadership, private-sector funding, technical expertise and community engagement to improve access to treatment and strengthen local health systems.
Beyond service delivery, Salako urged Nigerian manufacturers to invest in producing spectacle frames, lenses, ophthalmic medicines and other essential eye-care products locally.
He said domestic production could reduce dependence on imports, strengthen supply chains, create jobs and potentially improve the availability of essential products.
However, the impact would depend on production costs, product quality, pricing, distribution and effective regulatory oversight.
The minister also encouraged telecommunications companies to support the use of digital technology for tele-ophthalmology, remote screening and mobile diagnostic services.
Such services could help connect people in remote communities with eye-care professionals and identify conditions requiring specialist treatment.
He noted, however, that the success of these interventions would depend on reliable infrastructure, trained personnel, effective referral systems and access to treatment.
The government’s call reflects a broader effort to secure long-term financing for eye health, with stakeholders expected to play a greater role in expanding affordable services and reducing preventable vision loss across Nigeria.
