In a country as populous and diverse as Nigeria, healthcare challenges are a familiar reality. Yet, often overlooked in the broader healthcare conversation is the crucial role of eye care. Vision impairment and blindness affect millions of Nigerians, yet primary eye care remains underdeveloped and underappreciated. This situation calls for re-evaluating the role of optometrists, whose indispensable presence in primary eye health care can be the difference between sight and blindness for many Nigerians.
Globally, it is estimated that over 2.2 billion people suffer from some form of vision impairment, and Nigeria is no exception. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), at least one billion of these cases are preventable or have yet to be addressed. In Nigeria, the burden of visual impairment is staggering, with millions affected by conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, refractive errors etc. What makes this even more concerning is that many cases could be prevented if treated on time and if there were adequate primary eye care services.
