Christian Blind Mission (CBM) International has launched the SightQuest Nigeria programme with funding equivalent to about N25 billion to strengthen eye care services, reduce avoidable blindness and visual impairment, and support inclusive health systems, organisers said at the event in Abuja.
SightQuest Nigeria is a 10-year national initiative designed to address preventable vision loss and improve access to eye health services in Nigeria.
The programme builds on CBM’s longstanding partnership in the country, which began in 1968, and aims to integrate comprehensive eye care into existing health systems.
Nigeria faces public health challenges related to visual impairment and blindness. In previous government statements, health authorities emphasised the importance of integrating primary eye care into primary health services to improve early diagnosis and reduce vision loss.
At the launch, the Chief Executive Officer of CBM, Dr Rainer Brockhans, said the funding commitment of 15 million euros (nearly N25bn) would support efforts to expand access to cataract surgery and services for refractive errors, which are major causes of avoidable visual impairment.
Brockhans described the programme as an integrated initiative geared toward long-term outcomes, drawing on previous collaborations that included projects in Plateau State and campaigns targeting elimination of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis.
The programme is expected to focus on underserved groups, including women, children, persons with disabilities and rural populations, and will involve broad collaboration with government institutions, professional bodies and communities.
Representing the President of the Senate, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo, said investment in eye care is central to national development and inclusion, highlighting avoidable blindness as both a health and moral issue.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Salako, said visual impairment has economic consequences, noting that it lowers productivity and that the Federal Government is committed to preventing avoidable vision loss.
Stakeholders said the SightQuest programme’s funding will complement community-based efforts and strengthen primary eye care within health systems, potentially improving overall health outcomes and supporting broader economic participation through better vision.
The initiative aims to increase effective cataract surgical coverage and expand refractive error services across multiple states, with plans for further expansion.
