Kwara Dispenses Over 100,000 Reading Glasses, Expand Eye Care to 83 PHCs

The Kwara State Government has recorded another significant milestone in its drive to improve access to quality eye care, with over 100,000 pairs of reading glasses dispensed to residents across the state through the VisionSpring-supported Nigeria Jigi-Bola initiative.

Building on this remarkable achievement, the state has expanded the programme to an additional 32 Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities, bringing the total number of selected facilities providing eye care services and dispensing reading glasses to 83 PHCs across the 16 Local Government Areas of Kwara State.

To support the expansion, the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KWSPHCDA), in collaboration with VisionSpring, on Monday commenced a five-day capacity-building training for health workers drawn from the newly onboarded facilities. 

The training, holding at the Agency’s Conference Room in Ilorin, is designed to equip participants with the skills required for basic eye screening, vision assessment, data management, referral of complicated cases and the appropriate dispensing of reading glasses.

Declaring the training open, the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KWSPHCDA), Professor Nusirat Elelu, appreciated VisionSpring for what she described as a highly impactful intervention that has transformed the lives of thousands of Kwarans by restoring vision and improving their quality of life.

She also expressed gratitude to the Kwara State Government under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for its unwavering support for the partnership and for creating an enabling environment that has contributed immensely to the success of the project.

Professor Elelu pledged the Agency’s commitment to further strengthening the initiative, noting that the integration of eye care services into Primary Health Care Centres has significantly increased patronage of health facilities while expanding access to essential healthcare services at the grassroots.

She urged the newly selected health workers to give the training their full attention, emphasizing that the knowledge and practical skills they acquire would enable them to conduct eye screening professionally, dispense reading glasses appropriately and provide quality eye care services in their respective facilities.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Project Coordinator, PHC POWERS Project, VisionSpring, Dr. Sa’ad Ado Koki, commended the Kwara State Government for its unwavering commitment and support towards the successful implementation of the initiative.

He disclosed that the state has so far dispensed over 100,000 pairs of reading glasses, surpassing the programme’s 2025–2027 target within just one year of implementation. 

According to him, the outstanding performance has positioned Kwara as one of the leading states under the initiative and has strengthened VisionSpring’s resolve to further deepen its partnership with the state.

Dr. Koki attributed the success to the commitment of the Kwara State Government, the dedication of frontline health workers and the enabling environment created for development partners to thrive.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Director of Primary Health Care Systems, Dr. Michael Oguntoye, appreciated VisionSpring for its sustained support to the Agency and the people of Kwara State. 

He also commended the facilitators for their dedication and encouraged participants to make the most of the opportunity by actively participating throughout the training.

Also speaking, the Kwara State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Ibrahim Abubakar, lauded the partnership between VisionSpring and the Kwara State Government, noting that the Agency has continued to complement the initiative by demanding for eye care services through sustained public sensitisation campaigns and advocacy visits to strategic institutions and communities across the state.

Bukola Abdulganiyu,

Press Secretary 

KWSPHCDA