Dr Kunle Hassan says when he began treating patients decades ago, he never imagined blindness would become one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing health challenges. Today, the founder of the Eye Foundation Hospital estimates that more than six million Nigerians are living with preventable eye diseases — from cataracts to glaucoma — many of whom go untreated due to a severe shortage of eye specialists.
Speaking at the launch of a ₦500 million Eye Institute and a ₦500 million Professorial Chair in Ophthalmology at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sagamu, Dr Hassan said Nigeria now has just one eye doctor for every 500,000 people — far below the global standard of one per 15,000.
“It is not just the person who goes blind that suffers,” he said. “Every blind person needs someone to lead them around. The cost of blindness is heavy — for families and for the nation.”
The new institute, he explained, will train young specialists and mid-level personnel to work in rural areas where help is most needed.
Vice Chancellor, Professor Ayodeji Agboola, described Dr Hassan as “a visionary who sees beyond the retina,” saying the initiative will make Sagamu a centre for world-class eye research and artificial intelligence-driven medical innovation.
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