The ‘Eye Can See’ Joint Venture (JV) initiative of Seplat Energy PLC said it conducted free eye screenings on 23,447 patients in nine years.
The Director, External Affairs and Social Performance, of the organisation, Mrs Chioma Afe, said the exercise was performed in conjunction with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Afe disclosed this at the launch of the initiative’s 2026 edition in Owerri, on Thursday.
She said that as part of the initiative, Seplat and NNPCL had also performed 797 surgeries, and given out 13,525 free eye glasses within the period, with over 2,100 persons benefitting from the 2026 edition alone.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Eye Can See, a corporate social initiative, started in 2012 and has continued to date.
Afe, represented by Seplat’s General Manager, Corporate Social Investment and Social Performance, Mrs Esther Icha, said the initiative was designed to impact the health and wellbeing of host communities by providing free access to essential eye care services, including cataract surgeries.
She said that the cost of eye care, which had gone out of the reach for many, made it very imperative for the NNPCL and Seplat JV to sustain the programme and drive its penetration.
She said that the essence was to ensure the programme impacted a wide array of persons in the communities from the inception of the intervention programme in 2017.
‘Beneficiaries are also screened for other health challenges, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, among others, and provided with professional counselling, drugs and referrals, as needed.
‘For us as a company, we are very happy to do this because of the positive impacts on the stakeholders at the community level’, Afe said.
She further said that the initiative aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 on Good Health and Wellbeing, and underscored the Joint Venture’s broader commitment to delivering sustainable, high-impact social investments.
In a remark, the Acting Chief Upstream Investment Officer, NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Olanrewaju Igandan, lauded Seplat Energy for driving the initiative, which had seen the JV partners restore not just vision but hope to many members of host communities.
Igandan, represented by the Deputy Manager, External Relations, NUIMS, Bunmi Lawson, said that the efforts had changed many lives, giving people the opportunity to see clearly and enjoy life again.
‘NNPC Limited is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of people who host our businesses and operations.
‘We recognise that there are still many challenges and there is more work to be done.
‘The goal is not just eye care but to support welfare and more prosperous communities’, Igandan said.
The beneficiaries expressed delight at the opportunity and thanked the JV partners for bailing them out of critical health challenges.
In separate interviews with NAN, Dr Fred Nnamdi, Mrs Igolo Njemanze, and Chief Ernest Onyeneke, commended the JV partners for giving them a pleasant experience with a wonderful life-changing initiative, at no cost.
‘It was a wonderful experience. I never expected this. It went beyond my imagination, highly successful.
‘I trust God that my sight will be wonderful. God will bless them’, Nnamdi said.
