FG attracts $23m from foreign partners for eye treatments

…Targets 1.6m schoolchildren, 7,500 teachers, 81,000 free reading glasses

As part of efforts to strengthen eye healthcare, the federal government has said it is partnering with the Jigi Bola Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative Nigeria (ESCIN – Jigi Bola 2.0) to improve access to eye care, particularly at the grassroots.

Iziaq Salako, Minister of State for Health, disclosed this on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while speaking on the government’s collaboration with private sector donors to tackle eye health challenges in the country.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu’s commitment has helped unlock additional investments in eye health, including the €15 million Christian Blind Mission VisionQuest Nigeria multi-state programme and the $5 million Bloomberg Focus on Vision Project being implemented by Sightsavers.

He said the initiatives are expected to reach over 1.6 million school-aged children with eye screenings, provide 81,000 free reading glasses, and scale up the training of 7,500 teachers and healthcare workers over the next two years.

Salako noted that the initiative is part of government plans to restore sight, dignity, and economic opportunities, while boosting productivity by over three per cent within the same period.

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Other expected gains, he said, include a reduction in health inequities through the strengthening of local health systems.

He added that the programme would reposition Nigeria as a leader in primary healthcare-driven eye health in Africa and, above all, reflects the President’s unwavering commitment to helping Nigerians learn, earn, thrive, and improve their livelihoods.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, through the National Eye, Ear and Sensory Functions Programme (NESHP), is also partnering with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) under a presidential initiative to provide five million free pairs of eyeglasses to Nigerians in need.

“Within just one year of implementing the first phase of the Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative Nigeria (ESCIN – Jigi Bola 2.0), the programme—designed around sustainability and philanthropic models—has delivered more than 1.3 million free reading glasses and screened over 1.5 million Nigerians aged 40 and above across 16 states of the federation, making it one of the largest vision-care distribution efforts on the African continent,” he said.

The initiative is being implemented by NESHP-CHAI and supported by the Livelihood Impact Fund, Restoring Vision, Founders Pledge, VisionSpring, the Christian Health Association of Nigeria (CHAN), and the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation (OSELF).

Salako disclosed that the 16 states where the presidential initiative is currently being implemented include Bayelsa, Delta, Ekiti, the Federal Capital Territory, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Plateau, Ogun, Kwara, Benue, Sokoto, and Jigawa.

Already, a total of 1,541,325 Nigerians have been screened for presbyopia by primary healthcare workers, while 1,444,581 free reading glasses have been dispensed within 12 months—representing a 94 per cent utilisation rate.

Of this number, about 65 per cent of beneficiaries received their first-ever pair of glasses, while 53 per cent were women, helping to close gender equity gaps in access to healthcare.

The minister also revealed that 2,216 primary healthcare workers have been trained in primary eye care and empowered to deliver services, with 811 PHC facilities activated nationwide.

In addition, the federal government has established three vision centres in secondary health facilities under the sustainability arm of the programme. The centres, which provide glasses at subsidised rates, are located at Alimosho General Hospital, Lagos State; Ijebu-Ode General Hospital, Ogun State; and Idanre General Hospital, Ondo State.

He added that a real-time digital dashboard tracks eye screenings and the distribution of glasses at primary healthcare centres and community outreaches using KoboCollect software.

“The main dashboard is located at the Federal Ministry of Health, within the NESHP office, but progress can be tracked by all stakeholders anywhere in the world,” he said.

Salako assured that the federal government would expand the philanthropic arm of the initiative to additional states, including Nasarawa, Rivers, Oyo, Enugu, Taraba, Osun, Ogun, and Edo.

“This approach aligns with the President’s vision of delivering integrated, people-centred, primary healthcare-driven services nationwide,” he added.

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