By Emeka Samuel,Uyo
More than 6,000 people across Uyo, Eket and Ibeno are expected to benefit from a free eye care programme sponsored by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) /Seplat Energy Joint Venture in Akwa Ibom.
The week long programme tagged Eye Can See programme is meant to provide eye screening, treatment and reading glasses, as well as sight-restoring surgery for eligible patients and is the first edition of the initiative in the state.
Chairman of Seplat Energy, 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.
“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,” Udoma said.
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.
Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy, Engr. Effiong Okon, said Eye Can See began in 2012 in Edo, Delta and Imo states with the objective of preventing avoidable loss of sight by bringing screening, treatment, corrective lenses and surgery closer to the people who need them.
He said 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.
“These results show a programme that remains active, relevant and capable of reaching people at scale,” Okon said.
Governor Umo Eno, represented by the Deputy Governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, ina goodwill message described the programme as a timely intervention for people whose lives and productivity have been affected by visual impairment.
Eno 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 of the beneficiaries, 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.
