In a major boost to grassroots medical services, the Nigerian Federal Government has equipped more than 3,000 healthcare practitioners across 16 states with vital skills and operationalized upwards of 1,400 primary health facilities to deliver routine vision care.
This milestone was highlighted in Abuja during the 2026 World Sight Day gathering, held under the global banner “Love Your Eyes” alongside the national focus, “Protect Your Vision, See Clearly, Live Fully.” Speaking on behalf of the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, the Director of the E-Health Division, Dr. Doris Afam Aneke, explained that the drive aims to decentralize optical care and support remote and marginalized populations.
Dr. Salako pointed out that integrating basic vision assessments into local clinics speeds up the diagnosis of treatable ailments and streamlines referrals for complex cases. Emphasizing that sight loss directly undermines personal independence, learning, and economic output, he framed optical wellness as an indispensable pillar of universal health coverage rather than an isolated health target. He also called on citizens to schedule routine screenings and seek prompt intervention to curb preventable vision impairment.
Echoing these views, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom S., represented by Dr. Oteri Okolo, noted that safeguarding sight is essential to sustaining national development and human dignity. She traced the sector’s steady growth over the past ten years, pointing to milestones such as nationwide adoption of the Comprehensive National Eye Health Policy across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside the rollout of the 2024–2028 National Strategic Eye Health Plan.
Development allies and advocacy groups joined the event to demand increased funding for inclusive and preventative interventions. Chief Ayuba Burki Gufwan of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities urged policymakers to eliminate structural and communication hurdles that disproportionately block persons with disabilities from obtaining optical treatments.
Other key partners—including Sightsavers Nigeria, Helen Keller International, CBM International, Peek Vision, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation—reaffirmed their shared dedication to advancing technological tools, supplying corrective lenses, and embedding sustainable vision care into Nigeria’s primary medical system.