In Badagry, a two-day eye-care clinic set up by NNPC and SNEPCo drew crowds from sunrise, with over 1,000 residents receiving health services. The 'Vision First Plus' outreach, held on August 10th and 11th, transformed lives in Ajara Mango.
A Weekend of Free Eye Care
Organisers estimated that more than 1,000 residents passed through the clinic across both days. Engr. Ehebha Lawretta broke down the official tally for day one alone, where 583 patients were registered, with 462 undergoing nursing triage, 377 receiving laboratory services, 180 having general consultations, 219 receiving non-surgical eye care, and 259 walking away with pharmacy dispensations.
Restoring Sight in Badagry
Thirty-eight residents underwent successful eye surgeries that day, free of charge, restoring sight to people who had lived with treatable conditions for years. Several beneficiaries shared their experiences on camera after their procedures.
A Partnership in Sight
Hon. Babatunde Hunpe, Executive Chairman of Badagry Local Government, addressed guests and dignitaries at the event, describing it as a partnership Badagry hopes will outlast a single weekend. He offered land within the community for Shell, NNPC and SNEPCo to build a permanent clinic, telling officials it was "okay" if the facility carried their name, and urged the partners to turn the outreach into a recurring fixture rather than a one-off.
Extending Impact Beyond the Clinic
A permanent secretary among the dignitaries echoed the call to build on the momentum, proposing that a modest health insurance contribution per resident (cited at ₦15,000) could extend the programme's impact well beyond the two days of screening and surgery. The NNPC team also used the outreach to highlight its broader role in making the Vision First Plus programme possible, positioning the Badagry exercise as part of a wider commitment to community health across its host communities.
A Community's Gratitude
Beyond the numbers, what stood out in Ajara Mango was the queue that formed before the gates even opened, a reminder of how much a single weekend of free, quality eye care can mean for a community that doesn't always get one. As the 'Vision First Plus' outreach wrapped up, the people of Badagry look forward to seeing this partnership bear fruit in the years to come.
Source: Pulse.ng
