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World Sight Day 2025: Nigeria takes a step towards affordable eye care: Integrating primary eye care into the PHC system
The Nigerian Government in Abuja (Core Reporters), through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has reiterated its commitment to preventing avoidable blindness and improving access to quality eye care services across Nigeria through the integration of primary eye care (PEC) into the national primary health care (PHC) system.
The Assistant Minister of Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said this in Abuja, Thursday, October 9, 2025, during the commemoration of World Sight Day 2025, themed “Love Your Eyes”.
Represented by Dr. Jimoh Olawale Salaudeen, mni, Director, Hospital Services Department of the ministry, said the initiative aims to make eye care accessible to millions of Nigerians, especially those living in rural and underprivileged communities.
He noted that vision plays a crucial role in socio-economic development, highlighting that eye health is now recognized as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) following Nigeria’s adoption of the “Vision for All” resolution at the United Nations General Assembly.
“Evidence has shown that people with poor vision have difficulty carrying out daily tasks and their productivity decreases significantly,” Dr. Salako said. “Avoiding blindness is essential to achieving SDG 1, No Poverty, because sight loss costs the world approximately $411 billion a year.”
He highlighted that Nigeria’s National Eye Health Policy (2019) and the National Strategic Development Plan for Eye Health (2023-2027) provide the framework to increase the provision of eye care and strengthen the national healthcare system towards universal coverage.
According to Salako, to ensure widespread impact, the ministry has trained 12 master trainers across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria to further train staff at the state level on the integration of PEC into PHC. Data collection and reporting tools have also been developed for primary healthcare facilities to improve monitoring and evaluation.
The minister explained that this integration would enable primary healthcare workers to manage simple eye conditions and refer complex cases appropriately, thus improving early diagnosis and reducing avoidable vision loss.
On ongoing interventions, Dr Salako announced the launch of the Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative Nigeria (ESCIN), also known as Jigibola 2.0, which aims to distribute five million free reading glasses across 15 states within three years. The initiative targets uncorrected refractive errors, particularly presbyopia, a common cause of visual impairment in older adults.
“By prioritizing eye health today, we are investing in a brighter and more prosperous tomorrow for Nigeria,” he added.
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom mni, represented by Dr Oteri Okolo Eme, National Coordinator, National Eye, Ear and Sensory Health Program NESHP, urged Nigerians to adopt regular eye check-ups and early detection of eye diseases.
He emphasized that eye health is not only a medical concern, but is also critical to achieving universal health coverage and driving national development.
“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 and improve quality of life,” he said.
In her presentation titled “Celebrating the Impact of Partnerships in Putting Patients at the Center of Eye Health,” Dr. Oteri Okolo Eme, NESHP National Coordinator, highlighted the country’s journey and progress in improving eye health, describing it as a steady climb “up a mountain once shrouded in mist.”
Dr Eme likened Nigeria’s progress in eye health to a determined expedition, which has endured challenges related to limited resources and data gaps, but continues to gain momentum through collaboration and innovation.
“Our journey began with modest resources and daunting statistics, but through leadership, partnerships and donor support, we have climbed steep terrain,” he said. “We now have policy documents and governance structures in place in 35 states and the FCT, and we hope to achieve full nationwide coverage by next year.”
She explained that the NESHP, which recently expanded its mandate to include auditory and sensory health, has engaged state and community structures to strengthen advocacy, improve service delivery and ensure community ownership of interventions.
Notable achievements mentioned include: The Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative Nigeria (ESCIN), JigiBola 2.0, distributed over 1.2 million pairs of free reading glasses in one year, with 66% of beneficiaries receiving their first pair and over half of them being women.
Training approximately 2,200 primary healthcare workers in 15 states to provide primary eye care, strengthening referral systems from primary to tertiary levels.
3,000 free cataract surgeries for Nigerians in riverine communities, already underway this year. Supportive oversight visits underway in 10 states for gap analysis to improve implementation and ensure competency in primary eye care delivery is maintained.
Despite progress, Dr Eme recognized persistent challenges such as inadequate policy architecture, resource gaps and insufficient data for planning. He emphasized that these findings will guide future strategies for stronger eye health governance.
“We’re not at the summit yet, but we can see the clouds,” he said. “With every step, we move ever closer to a Nigeria where no one is needlessly blind and people with irreversible vision loss can still contribute meaningfully to national development.”
Dr. Eme also highlighted collaborations with global partners including the Livelihood Impact Fund, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), Ariadne Labs at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and the International Eye Care Center at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which have promoted knowledge exchange, development of capabilities and innovative solutions.
