Wetin dey happen for Naija? Omo, dem don jam plenty good news as dem report say over 1.4 million Nigerians don collect free reading glasses! Na true, e no be joke! This na part of Federal Government initiative wey dem sabi call Jigi Bola 2.0, wey just dey shine for di first year.
Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, come yarn dis matter for Abuja, as he dey meet journalists during wetin dem call Meet-the-Press. He talk say dis initiative dey part of di presidential plan to give out 5 million free eyeglasses to pipo wey dey need am. E no be small matter o!
According to di minister, Jigi Bola 2.0 don deliver over 1.3 million free reading glasses and don screen more than 1.5 million Nigerians wey don reach 40 years and above for 16 states across di country. Dem dey run am for Bayelsa, Delta, Ekiti, FCT, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Plateau, Ogun, Kwara, Benue, Sokoto, and Jigawa. Na real big work dem dey do!
Salako sabi talk am well, as he say di programme get 94 percent usage rate, meaning say pipo wey collect di glasses don really use am. E even yan say 65 percent of dem na people wey dey collect dem glasses for di first time. If dat no sweet well for your belle, wetin else go sweet?
Dis initiative no be only for men oh, na women dey shine too as 53 percent of beneficiaries na women. Na real gender equality we dey see for this matter!
Di minister also count how dem don train 2,216 primary healthcare workers plus activate 811 facilities to dey provide di basic eye services wey people need. No be wahala again o! Dem dey screened, dey receive counselling, dey get first aid, plus dey dispense reading glasses and dey send advanced cases go higher facilities. Na serious business dey happen for dis Jigi Bola 2.0.
Dem also don set three vision centres for Lagos, Ogun, and Ondo, wey go dey offer glasses for subsidized rates. Alimosho General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode General Hospital, and Idanre General Hospital na dem centres wey dey shine now. E be like say dem no wan make anybody dey blind again for this country.
Salako talk say dem get real-time digital dashboard wey go track every screening and every glass wey dem don dispense. Dis dashboard dey for di ministry and e dey help stakeholders see how dem dey progress anywhere for di world. Technology dem dey use well well!
For funding matter, di minister talk say Livelihood Impact Fund dey support dem. Dem get funding for 1 million pairs of glasses for 2026 and Founders Pledge don help cover 2 million pairs with Christian Health Association of Nigeria dispensing over 201,960 glasses through their network. Na real teamwork!
Beneficiaries dey talk how di glasses don change their lives. One mechanic from Delta State talk say di glasses help am repair machines faster wey help him business grow. Another pharmacist from one state dey share how she fit read prescriptions with ease now, as e don restore her confidence at work. Even one person wey dey read Quran dey appreciate di glasses as e say him fit connect back with him faith.
As we dey look forward, di minister don announce say di philanthropic arm of dis initiative go expand next year, adding more states like Nasarawa, Rivers, Oyo, Osun, and Edo. Dem even plan to open four new vision centres for Edo, Enugu, Nasarawa, and Sokoto. I tell you, Naija dey shine for eye care matter!
Dis whole initiative na plus for di country as e dey attract more foreign investment for eye health, including some serious money from Bloomberg Focus on Vision Project wey go train over 7,500 teachers and healthcare workers and provide glasses for children too. Joy dey as we dey restore sight, dignity and economic opportunities for our pipo.
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