The ‘Eye Can See’ Joint Venture initiative of Seplat Energy said it conducted free eye screenings for 23,447 people over nine years.

Spokeswoman for the organisation, Chioma Afe, said the exercise was performed in conjunction with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

Ms 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 distributed 13,525 free eyeglasses during the period, with over 2,100 persons benefitting from the 2026 edition alone.

The ‘Eye Can See’, a corporate social initiative, began in 2012 and continues to date.

Ms Afe said the initiative was designed to impact the health and well-being of host communities by providing free access to essential eye care services, including cataract surgeries.

Ms Afe said that the cost of eye care, which had become unaffordable for many, made it imperative for the NNPC and Seplat JV to sustain the programme and expand its reach.

Ms Afe said that the essence was to ensure the programme impacted a wide array of people in the communities from the intervention’s inception in 2017.

She further said that the initiative aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 on Good Health and Well-being, and underscored the Joint Venture’s broader commitment to delivering sustainable, high-impact social investments.

Olanrewaju Igandan, the acting chief upstream investment officer at NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services, lauded Seplat Energy for driving the initiative, which had seen the JV partners restore not just vision but also hope to many members of host communities.

Mr Igandan said that the efforts had changed many lives, giving people the opportunity to see clearly and enjoy life again.

The beneficiaries expressed delight at the opportunity and thanked the JV partners for bailing them out of critical health challenges.

(NAN)