FG Moves to Mainstream Eye Health in Youth Development Agenda

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to integrating eye health into Nigeria’s youth development policies and programmes, stressing that clear vision is essential to education, productivity, innovation, and national competitiveness.

This position was articulated at a high-level roundtable and workshop themed “Seeing the Future: Advancing Eye Health for Youth Development,” held at the Conference Room of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Abuja. The event brought together youth leaders, optometry professionals, policymakers, and development partners to strengthen collaboration and advance youth-focused eye health initiatives.

Representing the Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, the Director of Youth Mental Health and Psychosocial Affairs, Emmanuel Essien, emphasised that poor eyesight among young people often leads to frustration, anxiety, social withdrawal, and reduced academic confidence. He highlighted the strong link between visual health and mental and psychosocial wellbeing.

According to him, the Ministry’s participation was deliberate and strategic, not ceremonial, as the Department of Youth Health, Mental and Psychosocial Affairs remains committed to policy advocacy, sensitisation, partnerships, and integrated programming that promote holistic youth development.

Noting that young people constitute over 60 per cent of Nigeria’s population, he stressed that fully harnessing the country’s demographic dividend requires ensuring that youth can “see clearly—both physically and metaphorically.”

“Clear vision empowers clear ambition. Clear sight supports clear opportunity,” he stated, urging stakeholders to move beyond dialogue toward actionable commitments, practical recommendations, and a defined roadmap aligned with national youth health priorities and global best practices.

Earlier, the President of the Nigerian Optometry Students Association, Mr. Oke, described the meeting as a historic milestone and a strategic step toward positioning eye care as a vital pillar of national youth development. He noted that millions of young Nigerians are affected by uncorrected refractive errors—conditions that significantly impair learning, skills acquisition, and long-term productivity.

Many youths, he explained, struggle academically or vocationally without realising that their challenges stem from correctable vision problems, describing the situation as a silent but serious development concern.

Under the proposed partnership framework, NOSA will provide clinical expertise, professional training, and outreach capacity, while the Ministry will facilitate structured access to youth populations nationwide. The shared goal is to ensure that every young Nigerian—whether in formal or informal education, skilled trades, creative industries, or technology—has the visual capacity needed to thrive.

The keynote address was delivered by Professor Tuwani Rasengane of the University of the Free State, South Africa, who advocated the integration of eye care into educational systems as a strategic pathway to strengthening youth development outcomes.