• Nearly 3,000 residents benefit as five-day medical outreach delivers eye care, general surgeries and other health services
Segun Atanda/
Nearly 3,000 residents of Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State have benefited from the latest edition of the NNPC/Shell Vision First initiative, with scores of visually impaired patients regaining their sight after successful cataract surgeries.
The five-day medical outreach, organised by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), drew large crowds from communities across Badagry as residents sought free eye care, surgeries and other medical services.
For some beneficiaries, the intervention proved life-changing. Thirty-eight patients had their sight restored through surgery on the first day alone, prompting emotional expressions of gratitude to the organisers.
The beneficiaries said regaining their sight would enable them to resume normal activities, regain independence and reintegrate more fully into society.
Figures released after the outreach showed that 2,297 people were attended to by the medical team, with 1,458 receiving eye-care services.
A total of 154 cataract surgeries were performed, while 878 pairs of spectacles were dispensed. More than 200 general surgeries were also carried out during the programme.
The turnout saw residents arriving early and forming long queues as word spread about the range of free medical services available.
SNEPCo Managing Director, Ronald Adams, said the programme reflected the company’s commitment to making a lasting difference in its host country beyond its core business operations.
“We believe that caring for people goes beyond business; it is a responsibility and a privilege. That is why we remain committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen communities and create lasting impact,” Adams said.
The Badagry intervention was the sixth outreach since the Vision First initiative was launched in 2022.
Late last year, the programme expanded beyond Lagos for the first time with an outreach in Asaba, Delta State, where nearly 2,000 people received healthcare services.
Beyond eye treatment, Vision First provides cardiovascular screening, medical consultations and treatment for mild and chronic illnesses, laboratory and pharmaceutical services, as well as distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
The initiative is implemented in collaboration with Kolmarg Eyesight Foundation, a Jos, Plateau State-based non-governmental organisation focused on providing comprehensive eye care to poor and underserved people in Sub-Saharan Africa.
SNEPCo, which pioneered Nigeria’s deepwater oil production through the Bonga field in 2005, said its social investments also cover education, healthcare, employment generation and infrastructure development.
The Badagry outreach adds to the growing footprint of Vision First, turning what began as an eye-care intervention into a broader community health programme — and, for beneficiaries who arrived unable to see clearly but left with restored vision, a new window to life.
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