…Free week-long eye-care programme targets more than 6,000 people across Uyo, Eket and Ibeno

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) /Seplat Energy Joint Venture has launched its ” Eye Can See programme” in Akwa Ibom State, targeting more than 6,000 people across Uyo, Eket and Ibeno during the week-long exercise.

The free programme provides eye screening, treatment and reading glasses, as well as sight-restoring surgery for eligible patients. It is the first edition of the initiative in Akwa Ibom State.

At the launch, the Chairman of Seplat Energy Plc, Chairman of Seplat Energy Plc, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, said the programme fulfilled a commitment made to the Akwa Ibom State Government following Seplat Energy’s acquisition of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited assets.

His words “After the acquisition of the MPNU assets in Akwa Ibom, I led our delegation to visit the Governor and explained that Seplat Energy believes in contributing proactively to the development of the communities where we operate. I specifically mentioned the Eye Can See programme and promised that we would extend it to Akwa Ibom. We are here today to fulfil that promise,

He said responsible operations must be matched by meaningful social investment that responds to identified community needs and delivers lasting benefits.

“Good vision supports learning, work, independence and dignity. Professional eye care addresses an immediate health need, but it also helps people regain opportunities that may have been lost,” he added.

 

Also, the Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy, Engr. Effiong Okon, said Eye Can See began in 2012 in Edo, Delta and Imo states with a clear purpose: to prevent avoidable loss of sight by bringing screening, treatment, corrective lenses and surgery closer to the people who need them.

He revealed that the programme had, over 14 years, screened 130,771 patients, distributed 67,491 pairs of glasses free of charge and performed 5,350 sight-restoring surgeries, adding that in 2025 alone it reached 13,726 beneficiaries, distributed 7,074 pairs of glasses and completed 471 surgeries.

His words “These results show a programme that remains active, relevant and capable of reaching people at scale,”

The CEO said the initiative had grown beyond periodic outreach into lasting local capacity. In Edo State, the 2025 edition was hosted at the Palace of the Oba of Benin, reflecting the value of working through trusted institutions, while in Delta State the Joint Venture built the Sapele Eye Centre, which has two surgery rooms, four examination rooms, two wards, a laboratory and solar power, and now supports eye care and surgery throughout the year.

Hos words “An outreach answers an immediate need. Permanent facilities build the local capacity to keep answering it,”

He cited the Sight First programme in Imo State as evidence that the model could be adapted to local needs. Developed at ANOH Gas Processing Company, a joint venture with NNPC Limited, Sight First served the company’s 11 host and impacted communities through a mobile clinic in 2025, its fourth year, screening 2,789 people, one-third more than the previous year, distributing 1,284 pairs of glasses, completing 116 surgeries and placing 1,309 people on blood-pressure medication.

“The lesson is practical: a proven programme can be adapted to local needs without losing its focus or standards. That is how an initiative becomes an enduring system of care,” Okon said.

He said the Akwa Ibom edition would provide free eye screening, treatment, corrective glasses and sight-restoring surgery for eligible patients, with medical teams also screening for glaucoma, hypertension and diabetes, conditions that often go undetected until they cause serious harm.

The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, represented by the Deputy Governor, Senator Dr Akon Eyakenyi, described the programme as a timely intervention for people whose lives and productivity have been affected by visual impairment.

The Governor noted that cataract accounts for about 43 per cent of blindness in Nigeria, according to the Nigeria National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey, and said timely access to professional care could prevent avoidable loss of sight.

“Many individuals and families have had their aspirations cut short and their productivity limited by visual impairment caused by cataract. We appreciate the efforts of the Joint Venture to help beneficiaries regain their sight, rebuild confidence and reclaim lost potential,” he said.

One beneficiary, Rose Edenteghe, a teacher, said deteriorating eyesight had affected her ability to read, write, see her students clearly and move around independently. She had previously paid for surgery on one eye but was unable to afford treatment for the other.

“They did not just give us surgery; they gave us back our sight and our joy. Thank you for giving us our dignity back,” Edenteghe said.

The Eye Can See programme is part of the Joint Venture’s commitment to improving access to quality healthcare and supporting shared prosperity in its host communities.