By Enyichukwu Enemanna
At least five million Nigerians with visual impairments will receive free eyeglasses sponsored by the Nigerian Government, the Presidency announced on Friday.
The project approved by President Bola Tinubu is in partnership between Federal Ministry of Health’s National Eye Health Programme and the Peek Vision Foundation.
President Tinubu while hosting the Founder and CEO of Peek Vision Foundation and Co-Founder of the Vision Catalyst Fund, Prof. Andrew Bastawrous declared the federal government’s support to Nigerians with visual impairments, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale said in a statement.
Ngelale noted that as the President made the pledge on behalf of the Federal Government and recalled his first intervention in eye health.
“My first experience was with my mother of blessed memory. She was ill and she could not recognise me. When I intervened, she was treated and given a pair of glasses. The next question she asked me was: ‘I have you, and you are able to do this for me. What about those other women and their children who may not have somebody like you to intervene for them?’
“So I made a promise to her that I will pursue the mass provision of eye care vigorously and that I would provide free eye screenings and surgeries to people because of that question my mother asked me and because of her passion to see others healed.
“We eventually impacted the eye health of millions of people in Lagos, and you could see their joy over the immediate sight enhancements when they were given a pair of glasses,” the President was quoted to have fondly recalled.
The statement quoted Tinubu to have expressed concern over the more than 24 million Nigerians grappling with varying degrees of vision impairments.
“We must act now because sight and vision is critical to economic development and growth,” the President said, recalling his visionary “Jigi Bola” programme, which was initiated during his tenure as the Executive Governor of Lagos State in 2001 and provided free eye screenings and surgeries to Lagosians while setting a new precedent for proactive eye care initiatives in West Africa.
“I am in support of this initiative, and I will encourage the mobilisation of further commitment to see this through and to reach vulnerable people all across our country. Some parents may not pay attention to this, but I will, because I am touched,” the President concluded.
Expressing his commitment to the cause, Prof. Bastawrous said, “Good vision unlocks human potential. It improves earning, learning, and wellness for individuals, communities, and countries”, the President’s spokesman stated.
