FCMB Advocates for Eye Care Financing and Partnerships

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has called for sustainable financing and public-private partnerships to improve eye care and reduce avoidable blindness in Nigeria. This announcement was made during a roundtable in Abuja, organized in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Eye, Ear and Sensory Functions Health Programme, and the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation (TCF).

The theme of the event was “Gift of Sight: Mobilising Partnerships and Sustainable Funding Towards Transforming Eye Care in Nigeria.” FCMB’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Yemisi Edun, emphasized the need for eye health to be prioritized in national development. Since 2009, over 400,000 individuals have benefited from free eye-care services through the Priceless Gift of Sight initiative.

FCMB has committed ₦20 billion to finance private healthcare businesses, enhancing service capacity and care quality. Dr Iziaq Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, supported financing mechanisms to broaden access to eye care.

Oteri Okolo, National Coordinator of the National Eye, Ear and Sensory Functions Health Programme, noted that restoring sight is a cost-effective intervention.