The Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria (OSN) says more than 24 million Nigerians are living with visual impairment, with 84 per cent of cases preventable or treatable.
The Society disclosed this in a communique issued at the end of its 51st Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference, tagged Abuja ASO 2026, held from September 2 to 4 in Abuja.
Presenting the communique, OSN President, Dr Gloria Patrick, identified cataract, glaucoma, uncorrected refractive errors and diabetic retinopathy as leading causes of blindness in Nigeria.
She said “the persistent burden of avoidable blindness required greater use of technology, innovation and data-driven approaches to eye care.”
“The theme was chosen to reflect the urgent need to leverage technology, innovation and data to address Nigeria’s eye health burden and achieve universal health coverage,” Patrick said.
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The Society expressed concern over the uneven distribution of ophthalmologists and other eye health workers, brain drain, inadequate electricity supply and the high cost of data, which it said were limiting access to quality eye care.
It called on state and local governments to employ more ophthalmologists and other eye health workers, particularly in underserved communities.
The Society also urged governments and development partners to increase funding for the training and retraining of eye health professionals in artificial intelligence, electronic medical records and digital diagnostics.
It advocated the adoption of teleophthalmology and artificial intelligence to expand access to eye care, stressing that AI should complement healthcare professionals rather than replace them.
The OSN further called for the integration of eye health data into the National District Health Information System platform to strengthen planning and delivery of patient-centred services.
It also urged the Nigerian Government to extend tax waivers and incentives for medical equipment to digital eye-care equipment and explore the use of solar-powered digital tools at primary healthcare centres.
Speaking on digital eye care, OSN Vice President, Prof. Abdulkadir Rafindadi, said; “technology could help expand access to specialist services in underserved rural and urban communities.”
Rafindadi said “55.8 per cent of Nigeria’s population was now urban, creating a growing population of underserved people who could still face difficulties accessing specialist care.”
He said digital technology could enable specialists to remotely review screenings and patient data from distant health facilities.
The Conference Planning Committee Chairperson, Prof. Regina Morgan, also called for greater investment in solar power at primary healthcare centres to support digital eye-care services.
She urged stronger media advocacy to raise public and government awareness of challenges affecting eye health.
As part of activities preceding the conference, the OSN conducted a free cataract surgical outreach from August 27 to 28, performing more than 500 cataract surgeries for indigent patients at selected facilities in Abuja and Nasarawa State.
The Society also condemned quackery and unauthorised eye-care interventions, warning that such practices endanger patients.
It called for clearer professional boundaries among eye health workers and urged ophthalmologists to uphold ethical standards, empathy and effective communication.
The OSN further called for the inclusion of vital parenteral intraocular medicines, particularly those used to manage retinal diseases, in the National Health Insurance Authority drug list.
It pledged to strengthen mentorship and promote the wellbeing of ophthalmologists while working with government, development partners, philanthropists and technology companies to improve access to modern eye-care services across Nigeria.
Victoria Ibanga
