FG to Offer Free Eye Surgery, Treatment for Vulnerable Nigerians

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja 

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Ishaq Salako, has said that the Federal Government will be implementating an interventional, 100 per cent subsidised healthcare initiative to reach vulnerable and hard-to-reach Nigerians in rural communities across the country. 

He said that as part of this initiative, services to improve eye health including screening for refractive error, provision of prescribed glasses tagged JIGI BOLA 2.0 cataract surgeries and treatment of other medical conditions that can adversely affect eye health will be provided free of charge. 

The minister, who stated this at the Eyeball Summit 2025 Organized by the Optometrists and Dispensing Optician’s Registration Board of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja, also said that through the National Eye Health Programme (now renamed National Eye, Ear and other Sensory Health Programme), the ministry is working to ensure the integration of eye care services into primary healthcare by training nurses and Community Health Extension Workers (CHEW) to identify, assess and refer eye conditions.

“Under this administration, we will continue to expand access to affordable eye care services, which are critical in a country where a large proportion of the population live in underserved areas.

“To this end, I am pleased to inform you that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare under the 2025 budget will be implementing the Renewed Hope Health Connect, an interventional, 100 per cent subsidised healthcare initiative to reach vulnerable and hard-to-reach Nigerians in rural communities across the country. 

“As part of this initiative, services to improve eye health including screening for refractive error, provision of prescribed glasses tagged JIGI BOLA 2.0, cataract surgeries and treatment of other medical conditions that can adversely affect eye health will be provided free of charge.,” he said .

While welcoming participants to the workshop, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Registration Board of Nigeria (ODORBN), Dr. Obinna Edwin Awiaka, said the summit provides a critical platform to actualize the vision of transformative change in the country’s healthcare system by facilitating robust intellectual exchange. 

He said the theme of the summit, ‘Shaping the Future of Eye Care in Nigeria: Strengthening Systems through Strategic Alliances’, could not be more timely or more urgent. 

“It speaks to a fundamental truth: No single entity, no matter how skilled or committed, can achieve transformative change alone. It is only through collaboration, through building bridges across institutions, sectors, and disciplines, that we can create robust, sustainable, and accessible eye core systems for all.

“It is only through collaboration, through building bridges across institutions, sectors, and disciplines, that we can create robust, sustainable and accessible eye core systems for all,” he said.

The registrar said that it is through the sharing of pioneering research, exploration of emerging trends, and cross-pollination of ideas that can revolutionize how eye care is delivered and accessed in Nigeria.