The Oyo State Government, in collaboration with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is intensifying efforts to reduce visual impairment and curb capital flight associated with medical tourism.
The initiative received a major boost with the official commissioning of the Makkah Specialist Eye Hospital, Ibadan, a multi-million-naira state-of-the-art facility funded by the AlBasar International Foundation.
The landmark project, positioned to serve as a regional centre of excellence and a product of robust international cooperation between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is expected to eliminate avoidable blindness, improve eye care delivery, and reduce medical tourism.
Speaking at the commissioning, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, described the facility as a strategic milestone in his administration’s pursuit of accessible, equitable, and high-quality healthcare under the universal health coverage mandate.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Musbau Babatunde, the governor noted that visual impairment poses a severe threat to social inclusion, economic development, and human capital growth.
Makinde stressed that his administration has institutionalised eye care by establishing a dedicated Eye Health Desk Office under the Directorate of Public Health, as well as deploying desk officers across all 33 local government areas of the state for grassroots implementation.
He called for close collaboration between the hospital management and the state government on routine data sharing to guide future health policies and resource allocation.
The governor commended the dedication of the hospital’s management and its financiers, assuring that healthcare remains a key pillar of his administration’s development agenda.
Speaking as a professional economist, Prof. Babatunde emphasised the socio-economic impact of visual disabilities on the state’s active workforce and elderly population, noting that the establishment of the specialised clinic represents a valuable investment in social welfare.
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, expressed joy and gratitude to the AlBasar International Foundation for its humanitarian footprint, which he said goes far beyond statistical records.
The monarch recalled how, during his tenure as governor between 2004 and 2005, the foundation conducted a large free eye outreach in the state, performing over 500 surgeries in two weeks.
Oba Ladoja, who revealed that he had approached the foundation two decades ago, expressed fulfilment that the project had finally materialised in his lifetime, noting that the new specialist hospital, alongside the existing Eye Institute, positions Ibadan as a hub for ophthalmic care in West Africa.
Earlier, the Secretary General of the Foundation, Dr Adel Abdulaziz Al-Rushud, expressed deep affection for Nigeria, noting that visiting the country always felt like coming home.
Al-Rushud stated that the specialist hospital is the outcome of a shared vision and joint efforts spanning the public sector, non-governmental organisations, and other key stakeholders in the global fight against blindness. He explained that the hospital is designed to integrate seamlessly into both government and non-government health structures to ensure optimal reach across the region.
He expressed profound appreciation to the Al-Majid Public Establishment, the Waqf Abna Nasir Ali Al-Suhaibani, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, and international partners such as CBM, without whose collective support and philanthropic unity the facility would not have been realised.
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Medical personnel at the facility were urged to uphold the highest ethical standards by combining specialised expertise with empathy to ensure the centre remains a beacon of hope and healing for the downtrodden.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of awards to deserving individuals in the state for their support in the actualisation of the project, as well as free eye screening, tests, and surgeries for hundreds of members of the public present.
