NNPCL/Seplat JV commences Eye Can See scheme in Akwa Ibom

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL)/Seplat Energy Joint Venture has launched its Eye Can See programme in Akwa Ibom State, targeting more than 6,000 people across Uyo, Eket and Ibeno.

The week-long programme provides free eye screening, treatment and reading glasses, as well as sight-restoring surgery for eligible patients.

It is the first edition of the initiative in Akwa Ibom State.

Speaking at the launch, Chairman of Seplat Energy Plc, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, said the programme fulfilled a commitment made to the Akwa Ibom State Government following Seplat Energy’s acquisition of the assets of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited.

Udoma said the company had promised to extend the Eye Can See programme to the state as part of its commitment to supporting communities where it operates.

“Good vision supports learning, work, independence and dignity. Professional eye care addresses an immediate health need, but it also helps people regain opportunities that may have been lost,” he added.

The Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy, Engr. Effiong U. Okon, said Eye Can See began in 2012 in Edo, Delta and Imo states with a clear purpose: to prevent avoidable loss of sight by bringing screening, treatment, corrective lenses and surgery closer to the people who need them.

He said the programme had, over 14 years, screened 130,771 patients, distributed 67,491 pairs of glasses free of charge and performed 5,350 sight-restoring surgeries, adding that in 2025 alone it reached 13,726 beneficiaries, distributed 7,074 pairs of glasses and completed 471 surgeries.

“These results show a programme that remains active, relevant and capable of reaching people at scale,” Okon said.

The CEO said the initiative had grown beyond periodic outreach into lasting local capacity.

He said the Akwa Ibom edition would provide free eye screening, treatment, corrective glasses and sight-restoring surgery for eligible patients, with medical teams also screening for glaucoma, hypertension and diabetes, conditions that often go undetected until they cause serious harm.