The Federal Government has announced plans to perform 25,000 free cataract surgeries across Nigeria by the end of 2027 as part of efforts to prevent avoidable blindness and improve access to essential eye care services.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during an event marking the 2026 World Sight Day.
Salako, who was represented by the Director of the e-Health Division, Mrs Doris Afam-Aneke, said the initiative was part of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Health Connect programme, which aims to restore sight and improve the quality of life of Nigerians living with vision problems.
According to the minister, the target reflects the government’s commitment to helping thousands of Nigerians regain their sight, independence and ability to participate fully in society.
“As part of our Renewed Hope Health Connect, we’re embarking on performing 25,000 free cataract surgeries across the country by the end of 2027. This target is ambitious, but it is achievable,” he said.
Cataracts occur when the eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy, causing blurred vision and, in severe cases, blindness if left untreated. Surgery can restore vision in many affected patients, helping them resume daily activities and improve their quality of life.
To expand access to eye care at the community level, Salako said the government had activated more than 1,400 primary healthcare centres across the country to provide essential eye care services.
He added that more than 3,000 healthcare workers had been trained across 16 states to strengthen the prevention, early detection and management of common eye conditions.
The minister said integrating primary eye care into Nigeria’s primary healthcare system remained central to the government’s strategy to reach rural and underserved communities.
He explained that providing services closer to where people live would help identify eye problems early, offer initial treatment where appropriate and ensure that patients requiring specialised care were referred to suitable facilities.
Salako also disclosed that the government had distributed more than 1.5 million pairs of prescription spectacles across 16 states through the Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative, known as Jigi-Bola 2.0.
The programme aims to improve access to vision correction for people with refractive errors, which affect the eyes’ ability to focus properly. Prescription spectacles can help affected individuals see more clearly and carry out everyday activities.
He said preparations were at an advanced stage to extend the initiative to 10 additional states, potentially enabling more Nigerians to access affordable vision correction.
In another intervention, the minister revealed that more than 1.5 million school-age children had been screened for visual problems under the government’s school eye health programme.
Children identified with potential vision problems were referred to appropriate health facilities for further assessment and treatment. The initiative is intended to detect eye conditions early and reduce the impact of poor vision on children’s learning and classroom participation.
Salako further announced plans to establish four additional vision centres in Enugu, Edo, Sokoto and Nasarawa states to strengthen secondary eye care services.
The proposed centres are expected to improve referral systems and expand access to specialised treatment, helping patients receive appropriate care without unnecessary delays.
The planned cataract surgeries, expansion of primary eye care services, distribution of prescription spectacles and school-based screening programme form part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to address preventable vision problems across Nigeria.
If effectively implemented, the initiatives could help more Nigerians access treatment, particularly people who cannot afford eye care services and those living in underserved communities.
However, achieving the targets will depend on effective implementation, adequate healthcare resources and the ability to reach people who need treatment the most.