Maryam Aminu
The Federal Government has pledged to strengthen the integration of eye health into Nigeria’s youth development framework, declaring that clear vision is critical to education, productivity, innovation, and national competitiveness.
The commitment was reaffirmed at a high-level roundtable themed “Seeing the Future: Advancing Eye Health for Youth Development,” held at the Conference Room of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development in Abuja. The event brought together youth leaders, optometry professionals, policymakers, and development partners to deepen collaboration and advance youth-focused eye health initiatives.
Speaking at the forum, the Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, stressed that poor eyesight among young people often results in frustration, anxiety, social withdrawal, and diminished academic confidence.
Represented by the Director of Youth Mental Health and Psychosocial Affairs, Emmanuel Essien, the Minister underscored the strong connection between visual health and mental and psychosocial wellbeing.
He noted that the Ministry’s participation was intentional and aligned with the mandate of its Department of Youth Health, Mental and Psychosocial Affairs to promote policy advocacy, sensitisation, partnerships, and integrated programming that support holistic youth development.
Highlighting that young people constitute over 60 per cent of Nigeria’s population, the Minister said harnessing the country’s demographic dividend requires ensuring that youths can “see clearly both physically and metaphorically.”
“Clear vision empowers clear ambition. Clear sight supports clear opportunity,” he stated, urging participants to move beyond dialogue toward actionable commitments, practical recommendations, and a clearly defined roadmap aligned with national youth health priorities and global best practices.
The roundtable and workshop were organised by the Nigerian Optometry Students Association (NOSA) in collaboration with the Ministry.
In his remarks, NOSA President, 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 said the engagement signalled a transition from symbolic partnerships to purposeful action aimed at improving youth outcomes through accessible healthcare.
According to him, millions of young Nigerians are affected by uncorrected refractive errors 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 objective, he added, is to ensure that every young Nigerian whether in formal or informal education, skilled trades, creative industries, or technology has the visual capacity required to thrive.
The keynote address was delivered by Professor Tuwani Rasengane of the University of the Free State, who advocated the integration of eye care into educational systems as a strategic pathway to strengthening youth development outcomes.
The roundtable concluded with renewed calls for sustained collaboration, policy alignment, and measurable interventions to advance eye health as an essential component of Nigeria’s youth development agenda.
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