CBM launches 10-year SightQuest programme to eliminate avoidable visual impairment in Nigeria
By Ahmed Ahmed
The Christoffel Blind Mission (CBM) International has launched the SightQuest Nigeria Programme, a major 10-year initiative aimed at accelerating progress toward eliminating avoidable visual impairment in the country through stronger and more disability-inclusive eye health systems.
This is contained in a press statement signed by CBM International programme coordinator, Angela Uyah, made available to newsmen in Bauchi
The programme, scheduled to run from January 2026 to December 2035, represents one of the organisation’s most ambitious national health investments in Nigeria.
It is designed to expand access to quality eye care services, strengthen healthcare infrastructure, and build long-term resilience within the country’s eye health sector.SightQuest Nigeria seeks to significantly transform eye health service delivery across the country, with interventions expected to reach 14 states by 2035.
A key target of the initiative is to achieve a 30-percentage-point increase in effective Cataract Surgical Coverage (eCSC) in 10 states, with at least five states expected to reach the milestone by 2030.
The programme will also implement comprehensive strategies to improve effective Refractive Error Coverage (eREC), ensuring more Nigerians with vision problems gain access to appropriate diagnosis and corrective spectacles.
The initiative focuses on four major result areas: improving access to high-quality cataract surgical services; expanding access to quality spectacle provision; strengthening eye health infrastructure and medical equipment; and increasing the number and capacity of trained eye health professionals to deliver accessible and inclusive care.
Implementation of the programme will begin in five pilot states—Bauchi State, Imo State, Jigawa State, Plateau State, and Oyo State—where intensive investments will be made to accelerate progress toward the programme’s 2030 targets.
According to CBM International, the programme is anchored on its Inclusive Health Initiative, which promotes the development of strong, disability-inclusive health systems.
SightQuest adopts a district health systems strengthening approach, with emphasis on improving secondary-level eye care services that address the most common causes of visual impairment.
The strategy also includes strengthening primary eye health services and referral systems to ensure early detection of eye conditions, timely treatment, and people-centred care.
Special attention will be given to ensuring equitable access to services for persons with disabilities and other marginalized populations.To support innovation in eye care delivery, the programme will promote the use of emerging technologies to enhance diagnosis, treatment, and data-driven decision-making.
As part of its broader investments, CBM International is also establishing Nigeria’s first high-fidelity virtual simulation training facilities for cataract surgery in Ibadan and Kano, aimed at providing advanced and safe training opportunities for eye surgeons.
CBM reaffirmed that the SightQuest Programme underscores its long-standing commitment to building sustainable and inclusive health systems in Nigeria, combining technology, training, infrastructure development, and community-centred approaches to close critical gaps in eye health service delivery.
