The federal government says it will provide 25,000 free cataract surgeries nationwide by the end of 2027 as part of efforts to reduce avoidable blindness and improve access to quality eye care.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, announced this on Thursday at the 49th Annual Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA) and the African Council of Optometry (AFCO) meeting in Abuja.

Mr Salako said the surgeries would be carried out under the Renewed Hope Health Connect initiative, which aims to bring healthcare services closer to underserved communities across the country.

He said funding for the programme had already been provided in the 2025 and 2026 federal budgets, with implementation expected to begin in late October or early November this year.

“The process is already ongoing and, all things being equal, we hope to start the implementation by late October or early November this year,” he said.

Expanding primary eye care services

The minister said eye health had remained neglected for years, despite preventable visual impairment continuing to deprive millions of Nigerians of productivity, independence, economic opportunities and personal dignity.

He said President Bola Tinubu had placed deliberate emphasis on expanding primary eye care services and tackling preventable blindness through sustained investments, reforms and strengthened healthcare delivery systems.

According to him, the National Eye Health Strategic Development Plan 2024–2028 integrates eye care services across primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare levels to improve early detection nationwide.

Mr Salako said the federal government had also inaugurated the Nigeria Glaucoma Guidelines and Toolkit to standardise diagnosis, treatment and referral protocols for glaucoma management across healthcare facilities nationwide.

He said ophthalmologists from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory had already been trained on the guidelines to facilitate effective implementation and improve patient outcomes nationwide.

He added that under the Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative Nigeria-JigiBola 2.0, more than 2,220 primary healthcare workers across 16 states had been trained to conduct vision screening.

He said the JigiBola 2.0 initiative had screened almost two million Nigerians and provided more than 1.3 million people with free reading glasses across participating states nationwide.

According to him, approximately 66 per cent of beneficiaries received their first-ever pair of spectacles through the intervention, highlighting the significant unmet need for eye care services.

“The Jigi-Bola 2.0 is now being expanded under the Renewed Hope Health Connect to deliver at least five million free pairs of spectacles and 25,000 free cataract surgeries by the end of 2027,” he said.

Optometrists

Mr Salako described optometrists as on the front line of community eye health, emphasising that their expertise remained critical to achieving universal eye health coverage and reducing preventable blindness nationwide.

Earlier, President of the Nigerian Optometric Association, Chimeziri Anderson, said the conference was conceived to harmonise and standardise optometry education, training and practice across African countries.

Mr Anderson said the gathering would strengthen collaboration among African nations, promote the dissemination of research, and bridge differences in professional training, competencies, and regulatory frameworks across the continent.

He added that the association had partnered with organisations to facilitate free cataract surgeries, recording about 60 successful procedures during a recent outreach programme for vulnerable patients.

Also speaking, President of AFCO, Remi Ninkpe, called for a harmonised framework to guide optometry education, training and professional practice across Africa.

Mr Ninkpe said Africa had made remarkable progress in expanding optometry training, clinical services and professional recognition through collective efforts by governments, institutions and professional associations.

He, however, said that differences in curriculum, competencies and scope of practice continued to limit workforce mobility, professional integration and regional advancement across the continent.

“A harmonised, structured framework will deliver clarity of practice, workforce mobility, shared tools and one united voice for policy and advocacy,” he said.

READ ALSO: NNPC Foundation begins free cataract surgeries for 1,000 beneficiaries in Zaria

In his welcome address, the Chairman of the NOA Federal Capital Territory Chapter, Njezi Kennedy, described the conference as a landmark gathering to advance eye care across Africa.

Mr Kennedy commended the association’s leadership for strengthening professional advocacy, expanding global engagement, and successfully bringing the continental conference to Nigeria to foster wider collaboration and knowledge exchange.

He urged participants to maximise the scientific sessions, deepen professional collaboration and renew their commitment to eliminating avoidable blindness while improving eye health outcomes across Africa.

The conference, themed “Optometrists in a Changing Africa: From Diversity to Unity,” brought together eye care professionals, researchers and policymakers to discuss strategies for improving eye health services across the continent.

(NAN)

For Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Thursday night’s triumph was about far more than a winning throw. It was about redemption.

It was about finally putting behind the heartbreak of Birmingham four years ago.

READ ALSO: GOLD AT LAST! Chukwuebuka Enekwechi Delivers Nigeria’s Eighth Gold in Commonwealth Games Thriller

And it was about fulfilling a dream he has carried since his Commonwealth Games debut eight years ago.

The Nigerian shot put star delivered Team Nigeria’s eighth gold medal at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, producing a winning throw of 21.07m to edge New Zealand’s Tom Walsh (21.03m) in one of the closest finals of the athletics programme.

England’s Scott Lincoln completed the podium with 20.99m.

Despite standing on top of the podium, Enekwechi admitted it was far from his best performance.

“Physically and mentally, but I’m glad it went my way,” he said after the competition.

Asked what clicked during the final, the Nigerian surprisingly revealed that very little actually did.

“Nothing. Nothing worked in my favour. If you watched the competition, I struggled and I was pretty pensive the entire time.”

Rather than feeling dominant, the African record holder said he simply relied on years of preparation and determination.

“But we try hard, we train for this competition, so maybe on a different day it would have been a worse result. I think because we’ve circled this on the calendar for the past four years.”

His victory was made even sweeter because of the painful memories he carried into Glasgow.

At the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Enekwechi competed with both adductor muscles torn, battling through injury before finishing fourth and narrowly missing out on a medal.

That disappointment stayed with him throughout the last Olympic cycle.

“Last time I had some torn adductors—literally both adductors were torn. I got fourth, didn’t steal a medal. So I had to kind of redeem myself, and I’m glad I did today.”

The gold medal also completes a journey that began at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, where Enekwechi announced himself with a silver medal.

He admitted upgrading that silver had become an obsession.

“It’s going to be amazing. I’ve dreamt about it since Gold Coast 2018. I got a silver in my debut Commonwealth Games, and I wanted to upgrade it.”

Instead of waiting the usual four years, delays meant he had to wait twice as long to achieve that dream.

“Again, I had to wait eight years instead of four. So I’m glad it’s finally coming true.”

The victory crowns years of consistency for one of Nigeria’s greatest field athletes.

Enekwechi has represented the country at multiple Olympic Games and World Championships, broken barriers by becoming the first Nigerian to throw beyond 22 metres, and established himself among the world’s elite shot putters.

Now, he finally has the Commonwealth title to match his remarkable résumé.

His success also lifts Team Nigeria’s medal tally to 15 medals—8 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze—as the country’s outstanding campaign in Glasgow continues.

For Enekwechi, however, the statistics matter less than the journey.

After years of setbacks, injuries and unfinished business, the Nigerian giant finally stood where he always believed he belonged—at the top of the Commonwealth podium.