The Mainstream Foundation, the non-profit arm of Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, has reiterated the need for sustained efforts to eliminate preventable blindness in the country.
The foundation disclosed that in the past decade, it has conducted over 2,000 free cataract surgeries, distributed more than 6,000 pairs of eyeglasses, and examined over 22,500 patients across several communities.
Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than one billion people live with preventable vision impairment, most of them in developing countries. Nigeria represents a significant share of that figure, but initiatives like those of Mainstream Foundation are helping to reverse the trend.
Programme Manager of the foundation, Zayyan Illo, expressed concern about the prevalence of blindness in riverine communities, noting that the economic toll on vulnerable populations remains devastating.
He said the initiative forms part of the foundation’s broader commitment to improving health, education, environment, and empowerment across northern Nigeria and beyond.
Under its health programme, the foundation organises medical outreaches three to four times yearly, with a strong focus on eye health due to its direct link to productivity and quality of life.
“We observed many cases of river blindness, cataract, and severe eye allergies, particularly in rural and low-income communities that lack access to eye specialists. We saw it as a duty to intervene and help people restore their vision and, by extension, their dignity,” Illo said.
The foundation partners with ophthalmologists from institutions such as the Kaduna Medical Eye Centre, Sokoto Eye Clinic, and Minna General Hospital. These professionals volunteer their expertise to conduct surgeries, screenings, and examinations, often in remote areas with limited healthcare access.
Beyond Niger State, Illo said the foundation has extended its outreaches to Benin, Yola, and even the Niger Republic, recording what he described as “a 100 per cent success rate” across all cataract surgeries.
“We’ve never had a single failed procedure. That record alone has built immense trust,” he added.
Bida community, one of the foundation’s regular outreach locations, consistently records the highest turnout of patients. However, recent assessments show a gradual decline in new cataract cases, a positive sign that sustained intervention may be reducing prevalence.
To deepen understanding of the issue, Mainstream Foundation is currently conducting a comprehensive study on the environmental and health factors driving eye diseases in rural areas. Preliminary findings point to poor water quality as a major contributor.
“Many residents depend on untreated river water, which exposes them to infections leading to blindness, allergies, and other complications,” Illo explained. “As an immediate response, we’ve been providing communities with clean water alternatives and containers to reduce their dependence on unsafe river sources.”
While acknowledging the impact of private sector interventions, Illo stressed that government collaboration is vital to achieving large-scale change.
“The government has the capacity to institutionalise eye care. With proper funding, equipment, and coordination, we can almost eliminate cataracts, infections, and allergies. The impact would be enormous,” he said.
