The Federal Government has called for stronger private-sector investment in eye health to reduce preventable blindness, improve productivity and strengthen Nigeria’s human capital. The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made the call at a Public-Private Sector Roundtable on Eye Health in Abuja, themed,……
The Federal Government has called for stronger private-sector investment in eye health to reduce preventable blindness, improve productivity and strengthen Nigeria’s human capital.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made the call at a Public-Private Sector Roundtable on Eye Health in Abuja, themed, “GIFT of Sight: Mobilising Partnerships and Sustainable Funding towards Transforming Eye Care in Nigeria.”
Salako said eye health should no longer be treated solely as a health-sector concern, stressing that good vision is critical to education, workplace productivity, economic growth and national development.
He said about 24 million Nigerians live with vision loss, much of which is associated with preventable or treatable conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, uncorrected refractive errors and digital eye strain.
This was disclosed via a statement by the Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Ado Bako, on Tuesday, October 6.
The minister urged businesses in banking, manufacturing, telecommunications, energy and other sectors to see investment in eye health as both a social responsibility and an economic decision.
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He called for innovative financing mechanisms, including blended finance, social impact funds, co-financing arrangements and concessional loans, to expand eye-care infrastructure and access to quality services.
Salako also urged companies to channel their Corporate Social Responsibility investments into structured programmes, including school eye-health initiatives, rural surgical outreaches and permanent community-based eye-care centres.
He specifically encouraged telecommunications companies to deploy digital infrastructure to expand tele-ophthalmology, remote screening and mobile diagnostic services.
The minister further challenged Nigerian manufacturers to invest in the local production of spectacle frames, lenses, ophthalmic medicines and other essential eye-care consumables.
According to him, increased local production would make eye-care commodities more affordable and accessible while creating jobs and strengthening domestic supply chains.
Salako highlighted the progress of the Federal Government’s JigiBola 2.0 initiative, saying it had delivered 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 Health Care workers had been trained, while over 800 PHC centres across 16 states had been activated to provide primary eye-care services.
The minister said the next phase of the initiative would extend services to more than one million Nigerians in an additional 10 states, while the Renewed Hope Health Connect initiative is targeting 25,000 free cataract surgeries by 2027.
Salako also commended existing private-sector interventions, particularly the partnership between First City Monument Bank and the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation, which he said had reached more than 400,000 Nigerians.
He urged other corporate organisations to replicate such initiatives to address the eye-health needs of Nigeria’s population.
The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative to creating an enabling policy environment for sustainable public-private partnerships in eye health.
He also called on development partners and civil society organisations to provide catalytic support, technical expertise and innovation to help Nigeria move from donor-dependent interventions to a locally financed and sustainable eye-health system.
“A nation cannot march into economic prosperity if it is walking blind,” Salako said.
In her opening remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FCMB, Mrs Yemisi Edun, represented by Dr Diron Olojo, said eye health was not merely a medical issue but a critical component of education, productivity, economic inclusion and human dignity.
Edun highlighted the bank’s partnership with the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation through the Priceless Gift of Sight Initiative, launched in 2009, saying the programme had provided free eye-care services to more than 400,000 Nigerians by July 2024.
She said the experience demonstrated the impact of long-term partnerships in delivering sustainable health interventions.
Edun urged stakeholders at the roundtable to focus on three priorities: identifying communities and services with the greatest unmet needs, developing sustainable financing plans with clearly defined responsibilities, and establishing delivery timelines and measurable indicators for accountability.
The National Coordinator, National Eye Ear and Sensory Function Health Programme, Dr Oteri Okolo, said the gathering was an opportunity to address vision as a fundamental component of human dignity, development and economic potential.
Okolo said eye health had historically been treated as a secondary priority, stressing that “vision is not a luxury” but a critical means through which people learn, work, connect and navigate the world.
She said eye health had now been integrated into the broader national health architecture, guided by the National Eye Health Policy and Strategic Plan.
“Our strategic focus has been guided by National Eye Health Policy and Strategic Plan with Integrated People-Centered Eye Care (IPCEC) as our strategy, ensuring that eye care is not an isolated specialty, but an essential component of Universal Health Coverage (UHC),” Okolo said.
In a goodwill message represented by Sightsavers Country Director and Coordinator, Eye Health Non-Governmental Development Organisation Coalition, Prof Joy Shuaibu, the coalition commended the National Eye, Ear and Sensory Function Health Programme for engaging relevant stakeholders in the sector.
The coalition urged participants to focus on actionable solutions, innovative financing and scalable partnerships that could accelerate access to eye-health services across the country.
Also, the Head of Vision Care for Development Foundation, supported by Sterling Oil, Mimansa Shulala, said restoring sight was not only about healthcare but also about restoring opportunity, dignity, productivity and hope to underserved communities.
Shulala said the foundation, with support from SIPCON and Tulsi Chanrai Foundation, had screened more than 17,000 people in underserved communities over the past two and a half years.
She said more than 3,000 people requiring intervention had been identified, while over 1,500 cataract and pterygium surgeries had been facilitated.
“This is a strength of public-private partnership, where government provides leadership and system. SIPCO, Sterling Oil has provided support and resources. TCF has brought its expertise and technical knowledge, while VCDF channelized program to community,” she said.
The roundtable brought together government officials, healthcare providers, private-sector organisations, foundations and other stakeholders to strengthen collaboration towards a more accessible, equitable and sustainable eye-care system in Nigeria.
