By Fatima Saka
Nigeria Government has told the international community that investing in eye health is not just a medical necessity but also an economic strategy that can deliver up to $36 in returns for every dollar spent.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, speaking at a UN General Assembly high-level event on Wednesday, said millions suffer preventable blindness worldwide, slowing productivity and growth.
He outlined Nigeria’s landmark Jigi Bola 2.0 initiative, which has already provided over one million free spectacles and aims to deliver 5 million more alongside 25,000 cataract surgeries by 2027. “Nigeria has called for global partnerships to expand access to affordable eye care, stressing that millions of people in low- and middle-income countries face preventable blindness due to lack of basic services.”
Nigeria Endorses AU Plan to Deploy 2 Million Community Health Workers for Universal Health Coverage
Salako, speaking at a UN high-level said that Nigeria is integrating primary eye care into its primary healthcare system to ensure equity. “Over 2,200 community health workers have been trained, and a national policy is driving initiatives to reduce avoidable blindness nationwide.”
He told the global leaders that Nigeria has launched a National Eye Health Policy and Strategic Development Plan (2024–2028), alongside presidential-backed programmes like Jigi Bola 2.0, which has already reached over a million Nigerians with free spectacles.
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