FCMB calls for sustainable financing and partnerships in eye care

Abuja, Nigeria: First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has called for sustainable financing and public-private partnerships to reduce avoidable blindness and expand access to eye care in Nigeria.

The Bank made the appeal during a roundtable organized in Abuja in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, through the National Eye, Ear and Sensory Health Program and the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation (TCF). The theme was “The Gift of Sight: Mobilizing Partnerships and Sustainable Financing to Transform Eye Care in Nigeria.”

“Eye health deserves a place among our national development priorities and should be seen as an investment in human capital,” FCMB Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Yemisi Edun, said in a speech delivered on his behalf by Divisional Head, Corporate Affairs, Diran Olojo.

Since 2009, more than 400,000 people have benefited from free eye care services provided by FCMB and TCF through the Priceless Gift of Sight initiative. Services include eye exams, optical services, surgeries and disease management.

FCMB has also committed ₦20 billion to finance private healthcare enterprises in Nigeria, helping providers expand capacity, modernize services and improve care, including across the eye care value chain.

Assistant Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, praised the partnership and supported financing mechanisms, including blended financing, social impact bonds and corporate co-financing, to expand access to eye care.

The National Coordinator of the National Eye, Ear and Sensory Health Programme, Oteri Okolo, said vision impairment exacerbates inequality and described vision restoration as a cost-effective development intervention.

TCF CEO Shravan Kasam highlighted the importance of combining technical expertise, private sector resources and community-level interventions to address avoidable blindness.