By Danjuma Amodu | February 5, 2026
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, has commended the Christian Blind Mission (CBM) International for launching the SightQuest Nigeria programme, a 10-year initiative aimed at investing in inclusive eye health services in Nigeria.
Speaking at the launch event held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Dr. Salako noted that the programme would address the country’s high prevalence of avoidable blindness, caused by treatable conditions such as cataract, glaucoma, and refractive errors. He emphasized that lack of awareness and poor access to essential eye care services were major contributors to visual impairment in Nigeria.
According to Dr. Salako, the Federal Government is committed to preventing avoidable vision loss and addressing the challenges associated with blindness, as encapsulated in policy documents such as the National Eye Health Policy and the National Eye Health Strategic Development Plan.
The Minister highlighted the government’s initiatives, including the Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative Nigeria (ESCIN), also known as JigiBola 2.0, which aims to distribute five million pairs of free reading glasses in Nigeria over four years. He also announced plans to provide at least 25,000 free cataract surgeries by the end of 2027.
Dr. Salako commended CBM International and its donors for supporting the government’s agenda to provide comprehensive and inclusive eye health services, and called on all Nigerians to support the implementation of health reforms to ensure access to quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare services.
SightQuest Nigeria is expected to improve access to cataract surgical services, spectacles, and eye health infrastructure, ultimately contributing to Nigeria’s progress towards meeting global goals in eye health and disability inclusion by 2030. CBM International has been working in Nigeria since 1966, focusing on eye health, disability inclusion, and humanitarian response.
