Chairman Seeks Permanent Eye-Care Facility as 583 Residents Benefit on Opening Day
The Executive Chairman of Badagry Local Government, Hon. Babatunde Hunpe, has flagged off the NNPC/SNEPCo Vision First Plus Programme, a five-day free medical outreach aimed at providing specialised eye care and general healthcare services to residents of Badagry and neighbouring communities.
The programme, organised by Badagry Local Government in partnership with NNPC, SNEPCo, Kolmarg Eyesight Foundation, ExxonMobil and AGIP, is being held at the Ajara Flagship Primary Health Centre, Mango, Ajara, as part of activities marking the Chairman’s first year in office.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Hunpe described the initiative as a landmark healthcare intervention capable of improving access to quality medical services and addressing the longstanding shortage of specialised eye-care services in Badagry.
“Eye care has for too long remained a neglected area. This intervention is helping to bridge a critical gap by bringing specialised services directly to our communities,” he said.
The Chairman expressed appreciation to NNPC, SNEPCo and their partners for selecting Badagry as a beneficiary, noting that the programme aligns with his administration’s commitment to strengthening primary healthcare delivery under the Greater Badagry Rising Agenda.
Hunpe noted that many residents, particularly elderly people, traders, farmers and low-income earners, are often forced to travel long distances to Lagos to access specialist eye-care services.
He therefore appealed to the partners to sustain their collaboration and support the establishment of a permanent eye-care facility in Badagry.
“We are ready to provide land and every necessary enabling environment for a permanent eye-care facility in Badagry. Together, we can make the dream of a Badagry Local Government Eye Clinic a reality for present and future generations,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the Executive Vice-President, Exploration, SNEPCo, Mr. Abubakar Ahmed, the company’s General Manager, Exploration and Development, described Vision First Plus as a programme designed to restore “hope, confidence, dignity and opportunity” while expanding access to healthcare in underserved communities.
He disclosed that the programme had, since inception, screened more than 7,700 people, dispensed over 2,058 prescription glasses, provided essential medications to more than 3,170 beneficiaries and conducted over 574 vision-restoring procedures, including cataract surgeries.
Also speaking, Mr. Usman Muhammed Bello, representing the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Mr. Olanrewaju Igando, reaffirmed NNPC’s commitment to community development through healthcare interventions.
He said partnerships such as Vision First Plus were helping to extend quality healthcare to underserved communities while creating lasting value for host communities.
Goodwill messages were also delivered by the representative of the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi; Dr. Ifeyemi Adediran, Director of Blindness Prevention; and the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health District V, Dr. Asiyanbi Oladapo.
They commended the initiative and urged residents to take full advantage of the free medical services.
583 Residents Benefit on Opening Day
Statistics released at the event showed that 583 residents registered on the opening day, with 462 receiving nursing triage services, 377 undergoing laboratory investigations, 280 benefiting from general consultations, 219 accessing eye-care services, 259 receiving medications, while 38 successful surgeries were conducted.
The outreach, which runs until Friday, August 14, offers a range of free services, including eye screening and consultations, cataract and pterygium surgeries, reading glasses and eye drops, cardiovascular screening, treatment of minor ailments, general medical consultations and free medications.
The event was attended by members of the Badagry Local Government Legislative Arm, led by the Leader of the House, Hon. Asokere Mautin Bankole; members of the Executive Committee led by the Secretary to the Local Government, Mr. Adagba Benjamin; and council management staff led by the Council Manager, Mrs. Avoseh-Akwe Senami Oluwakemi.
Traditional rulers, community leaders, representatives of Community Development Committees (CDCs) and Community Development Associations (CDAs), among other stakeholders, were also present at the flag-off ceremony.
