The Federal Government has announced that more than 1.4 million Nigerians have received free reading glasses under the Jigi Bola 2.0 initiative within just one year, marking a major milestone in the country’s expanding public health interventions.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing at the State House in Abuja, describing the programme as one of the largest vision care efforts currently underway on the African continent.
According to Salako, a total of 1,444,581 Nigerians have benefited from the initiative so far, a scheme designed to deliver five million free pairs of reading glasses nationwide as part of President Bola Tinubu’s broader healthcare and social welfare agenda.
He revealed that over 1.5 million Nigerians aged 40 years and above have already been screened across 16 states, underscoring the scale and speed of the intervention. The states covered include Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Delta, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Plateau, Ogun, Kwara, Benue, Sokoto, and Jigawa.
Salako noted that the programme has recorded an impressive 94 percent usage rate, with about 65 percent of beneficiaries receiving reading glasses for the first time in their lives. He added that women accounted for 53 percent of those reached, a development he said is helping to close long-standing gender gaps in access to eye care services.
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Beyond direct distribution, the initiative has strengthened primary healthcare delivery by training 2,216 health workers and activating 811 primary healthcare centres to provide basic eye services such as screening, counselling, and referrals.
The minister also announced the establishment of three vision centres offering glasses at subsidised rates, located at Alimosho General Hospital in Lagos, Ijebu-Ode General Hospital in Ogun State, and Idanre General Hospital in Ondo State. A digital dashboard, he added, is being used to track screenings and the distribution of glasses in real time across the country.
On funding, Salako disclosed that the Livelihood Impact Fund is financing one million pairs of glasses for 2026, while Founders Pledge and Restoring Vision have jointly supported the production of an additional two million pairs. He highlighted the contribution of faith-based organisations, noting that the Christian Health Association of Nigeria alone has distributed over 200,000 reading glasses.
Salako said improved vision has enabled many Nigerians to work more efficiently, boost their earnings, and reconnect with daily and spiritual activities that had previously become difficult due to poor eyesight.
Looking ahead, he announced plans to expand Jigi Bola 2.0 next year to Nasarawa, Rivers, Oyo, Enugu, Taraba, Osun, Ogun, and Edo states, with new vision centres slated for Edo, Enugu, Nasarawa, and Sokoto.
He stressed that the initiative reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to improving healthcare access, strengthening livelihoods, and expanding economic opportunities for millions of Nigerians through practical and life-changing interventions.
