By Joy Odor, Abuja
In a landmark health reform poised to transform the nation’s fight against preventable blindness, the Federal Government has announced a nationwide integration of Primary Eye Care (PEC) into the Primary Health Care (PHC) system, ensuring that millions of Nigerians, especially in rural and underserved communities, can now access quality eye care services at their doorstep.
Speaking in Abuja on Friday, October 9, 2025, during the commemoration of the 2025 World Sight Day themed “Love Your Eyes,” the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, reaffirmed government’s determination to make eye health a cornerstone of Nigeria’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) drive.
Represented by Dr. Jimoh Olawale Salaudeen, mni, Director of Hospital Services, Salako declared that the integration marks a critical step toward reducing avoidable blindness and advancing Nigeria’s health equity agenda.
“By prioritizing eye health today, we are investing in a brighter, more prosperous tomorrow for Nigeria,” Salako said.
He explained that vision loss significantly hinders productivity and economic growth, citing global data showing that vision impairment costs the world over $411 billion annually.
Under the initiative, 12 master trainers have already been deployed across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to train state-level health personnel.
New monitoring and reporting tools have also been developed to strengthen data collection and track progress.
Salako announced the rollout of the Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative Nigeria (ESCIN), also known as Jigibola 2.0, a flagship programme that aims to distribute five million free reading glasses across 15 states over the next three years, targeting uncorrected refractive errors, one of the most common causes of vision loss.
In her welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Daju Kachollom, mni, represented by Dr. Oteri Okolo Eme, National Coordinator of the National Eye, Ear and Sensory Functions Health Programme (NESHP), emphasized that eye health is central to achieving national development and universal health coverage.
“The economic and social implications of vision impairment are enormous, especially for a young and growing population like Nigeria’s. We must act now to prevent avoidable blindness,” she said.
Dr. Eme, in her presentation titled “Celebrating the Impact of Partnerships in Putting Patients at the Heart of Eye Health,” narrated Nigeria’s steady progress in advancing eye health, describing it as “a climb up a mountain once shrouded in mist.”
She revealed that 35 states and the FCT now have policy frameworks for eye health governance and expressed optimism that full national coverage will be achieved by 2026.
Among the key milestones celebrated were:
1.2 million free pairs of reading glasses already distributed under Jigibola 2.0, with 66% of beneficiaries receiving their first pair and over half being women.
2,200 Primary Health Care workers trained across 15 states to deliver basic eye care and strengthen referral systems.
3,000 free cataract surgeries provided to Nigerians in riverine communities this year.
Supervisory visits to 10 states to enhance skill retention and ensure programme sustainability.
Despite these achievements, Dr. Eme acknowledged ongoing challenges, including resource constraints and data gaps, but stressed that these insights are guiding a more resilient policy framework.
“We are not yet at the summit, but we can see the clouds,” she said. “With every step, we’re closer to a Nigeria where no one is needlessly blind.”
Nigeria’s progress, she added, is being accelerated through strategic collaborations with international partners, including the Livelihood Impact Fund, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), Ariadne Labs at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the International Eye Care Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, all contributing to research, innovation, and capacity building.
The event climaxed with the symbolic cutting of the World Sight Day cake by representatives of the Minister, alongside development partners and stakeholders, followed by a captivating live performance from Cobhams Asuquo, the renowned visually impaired musician, whose soulful melodies filled the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
With its bold integration of Primary Eye Care into the PHC system, massive spectacle distribution plan, and nationwide training of health workers, Nigeria is now charting a new course, one where every citizen, regardless of location or income, can “love their eyes” and see a clearer, brighter future.
