The Oyo State government and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have strengthened healthcare collaboration with the inauguration of a multi-million-naira specialist eye hospital in Ibadan aimed at tackling blindness and visual impairment across the state and beyond.
Governor Seyi Makinde described the project as a major boost to his administration’s healthcare agenda, saying the facility would expand access to quality eye care services and support ongoing efforts to achieve universal health coverage in the state.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony on Monday through the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musbau Babatunde, the governor said the hospital represents a critical intervention in addressing the growing burden of visual impairment and blindness, which he noted poses significant social and economic challenges.
According to him, the facility aligns with the operations of the newly inaugurated Oyo State Eye Health Committee headed by a consultant ophthalmologist from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.
Makinde stressed the importance of collaboration between the hospital management and the state government, particularly in the area of routine data sharing to aid health planning and policy formulation.
He commended the management of the hospital and its international partners for supporting the initiative, reaffirming that healthcare remains one of the priority sectors of his administration.
Prof. Babatunde, speaking further as an economist, said visual disabilities continue to affect productivity and economic participation, especially among the working population and elderly citizens.
He explained that the establishment of the specialised eye centre would improve social welfare by helping children learn more effectively and enabling adults to remain productive.
The SSG added that the availability of advanced ophthalmic services within the country would reduce the need for medical trips abroad, retain capital locally and stimulate economic activities through job creation and healthcare investments.
He urged medical personnel at the facility to uphold professionalism and compassion in service delivery to ensure the hospital becomes a source of hope for vulnerable residents.
Also speaking at the event, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, praised the humanitarian contributions of the Al-Basar International Foundation to eye care delivery in the state.
The monarch recalled that during his tenure as governor between 2004 and 2005, the foundation carried out a large-scale free eye outreach programme in Oyo State during which more than 500 surgeries were performed within two weeks.
He said many beneficiaries regained their sight after years of blindness, including some who had reportedly been blind from birth.
Olubadan revealed that he had approached the foundation about two decades ago with a proposal to provide a building if the organisation could supply the necessary medical equipment, expressing satisfaction that the vision had finally materialised.
According to him, the establishment of the new specialist eye hospital alongside the existing Eye Institute has positioned Ibadan as a leading destination for ophthalmic healthcare in West Africa.
“With the level of modern technology now available, avoidable blindness should become a thing of the past within the next decade,” he said.
Earlier, the Secretary-General of Al-Basar International Foundation, Adel Abdulaziz Al-Rushud, described Nigeria as a second home, noting that the new hospital was the result of years of collaboration involving governments, non-governmental organisations and international health partners.
He explained that the facility was designed to integrate with existing government and non-government healthcare systems to ensure broader access to specialised eye treatment across the region.
Al-Rushud appreciated organisations and partners that contributed to the project, including the Al-Majid Public Establishment, Waqf Abna Nasir Ali Al-Suhaibani, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, and CBM.
The event also featured the presentation of awards to individuals recognised for their contributions toward the realisation of the project.
Hundreds of residents who attended the commissioning benefitted from free eye screenings, medical tests and surgical procedures conducted by specialists at the facility.
