•Beneficiary, Sowunmi Oluwole.
By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
ABEOKUTA: No fewer than 1,000 people, including three children born blind, have been screened and booked for sight restoration session as Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Foundation flagged – off free cataract screening and extraction surgeries for Southwest geopolitical zone.
The exercise which began on Wednesday at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, Ogun State, witnessed the screening of over 650 people with about cataract extraction surgeries performed for about 160 of them.
Consultant Opthalmologist and Head of Opthalmology unit, FMC Abeokuta, Dr. Peter Abikoye, who is leading the team of specialists carrying out the surgeries on behalf of the NNPC Limited (NNPCL) Foundation, told reporters that cataract is the commonest cause of reversible blindness while old age and diabetes are predisposing factors leading to development of cataracts.
However, regarding the three children born – blind and whose ages are one year, seven years and one year, he said it could be a congenital cataracts.
According to him, there are some metabolic disorders that may give room for children being born blind.
He also explained that some mothers have conditions that predisposed their children to develop cataract from birth.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Sowunmi Ebenezer Oluwole, a 50 – year – old teacher, said he had been living with cataract in the last three years with the attendant drains on his productivity and resources while seeking remedy until help came through NNPC Foundation.
He lauded the free cataract surgery project, saying it was a huge relief to him and other beneficiaries who hitherto could not afford the cost of treatment and surgery for cataracts.
Addressing the people at the flag off that had in attendance, the Olowu of Owu kingdom, Professor (Oba) Saka Adelola Matemilola, Chief Medical Director of FMC Abeokuta, Prof. Adewale Musa Olomu among other dignitaries, the Managing Director of NNPC Foundation, Mrs. Emmanuella N. Arukwe, said the intervention seeks to combat widespread issue of vision impairment caused by cataracts, a condition, she added, has severely impacted many Nigerians.
Mrs Arukwe who was represented by the foundation’s Deputy Manager, Teniola Abu, said the intervention would be replicated across the six geopolitical zones of the country to bring sight back to 6,000 indigent Nigerians.
She said, “Cataracts remain one of the leading causes of blindness globally. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 50% of blindness cases in Nigeria are caused by cataracts. In underserved areas, such as many parts of the South-West, limited access to quality eye care exacerbates this challenge. This is more than a health issue—it is a social and economic crisis, as vision loss directly affects productivity, independence, and overall quality of life.
“At NNPC Foundation, we understand that vision is not merely a sense—it is a fundamental enabler of human dignity and opportunity. This understanding is at the core of our initiative.
“Through this programme, we aim to provide free cataract screenings, surgeries, and public education on eye health. We anticipate restoring sight to up to 1,000 individuals in the South-West. Beyond the numbers, this means transforming lives—helping breadwinners regain their livelihoods, empowering students to pursue their studies, and enabling individuals to experience the joys of life once again.”
“Over the past 20 months, NNPC Foundation has spearheaded numerous healthcare initiatives, including a pilot eye screening and glaucoma treatment programme for over 290 individuals in Abuja, free cancer screenings and counselling sessions for approximately 3,440 people across the six geopolitical zones, a medical outreach in Garki Village, Abuja, addressing non-communicable diseases and providing medical consumables to about 450 individuals.”
The CMD of FMC, Prof. Adewale Musa Olomu commended the foundation for the gesture, appealing to it to also extend helping hands to Cancer patients and other patients needing Open Heart surgery at the FMC because of the heavy cost burden on the affected patients and their families.
