Category: Auto Guid

Sir: I write with a broken heart. A heart so bruised it feels shattered. For weeks now, it has been one tragedy after another. One kidnapping case replaced by the next. Little girls taken from their schools. Families plunged into fear. We have reached a point where people whisper painful prayers like ‘may Nigeria never happen to me’, because we have watched the nation turn against its own.

Only last week, schoolgirls in Kebbi were abducted. And even though news has just broken that they have been freed, the joy of their return cannot erase the trauma of their ordeal or the deeper truth it exposes about our country. In that same week, more than 300 students were taken from a Catholic school. These were girls who simply wanted to learn, to grow, to dream, and to build a life. Their only ‘fault’ was the desire to be educated.

There is no way to describe the agony of sending your child to school and then seeing on the news that she has been taken by ruthless, faceless men. You do not know whether she has eaten, whether she is being harmed, what fears she is battling, what pain she is enduring. Is it a crime to be a girl-child in this country? Why must she carry so much suffering on her small shoulders?

The rate of insecurity in Nigeria today is beyond alarming. Those who lead us, those who hold authority, are meant to use every tool within their reach to protect citizens. Yet what do we see? Is ordering schools to vacate the answer?

Sending students home is not a solution. It strips these girls of their right to education. And then what happens when they resume? Will the cycle of fear, evacuation and abduction continue? What truly is the way forward?

Our leaders must seek real, practical solutions to these recurring horrors. They must rise to their duties and be held accountable. Our girls are suffering. They are far too young to bear this kind of trauma. No girl, no child, no human being deserves this. No parent deserves the torment of knowing that their daughter is in the hands of men who may do only God knows what to her.

We thank God for the safe return of the abducted Kebbi schoolgirls, but we refuse to let that relief distract us from the painful truth that no child should ever have been taken in the first place.

A real estate firm, Akmodel Homes and Properties, said it has expanded its foothold to the United Kingdom (UK), Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

The company which is celebrating its fifth anniversary of resilience, innovation and commitment to excellWnce in the Nigerian real estate sector already has presence in Lagos, Awka, Uyo, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ilorin, and Enugu.

Its CEO, Dr. Abdulhakeem Odegade, said in the few years of the company’s existence, it has expanded its portfolio with strategic projects, modern estates, empowered realtors, and strengthened its reputation as a brand with vision.

According to him, the company’s growth story is a testament to consistency, dedication and the belief that Nigeria’s real estate industry can thrive when excellence is placed at the center of service, he added.

He expressed gratitude to their loyal clients, partners, realtors, staff and supporters whose trust and commitment have fueled its journey.

Odegade said the company remained committed to raising industry standards, creating more opportunities, building sustainable communities and shaping the future of real estate in Nigeria.

From a humble beginnings, Akmodel Homes and Properties has grown into a trusted and influential brand, known for delivering quality housing solutions, fostering meaningful partnerships, and contributing significantly to economic development. Over the past years, the company has maintained its focus on integrity, professionalism, customer satisfaction and community impact values that continue to guide its operations.

Sir: The passport reforms under the leadership of Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo may appear, on the surface, like a travel convenience upgrade. But beneath that surface lies something far more powerful: restored trust in the Nigerian state. Entrepreneurs have long lived in fear of government processes because those processes were unpredictable. You could plan around slow. You could never plan around confusion. Weeks of waiting, duplicated biometrics, extra payments, middlemen, missing files – small business owners suffered all of it. Every inefficiency translated to lost deals, altered timelines, and additional costs.

Digital passport processing did more than clean up a service. It reintroduced predictability, a currency more valuable than oil when building an economy. Investors, both local and foreign, take cues from how a government manages the simplest things. If a passport system can work seamlessly, stakeholders begin to believe that bigger systems can work too. This is why the reforms matter: they quietly restore confidence in the promise of Nigeria as a functional environment.

Efficient governance directly reduces the cost of doing business. Entrepreneurs understand this better than anyone. A document stuck on someone’s table can delay a client contract. A manual process can introduce corruption and inflate operational costs. A broken verification system can stall travel plans for an important business meeting. What looks like a ‘government problem’ is always, eventually, a business problem.

This is why digital processes in immigration, electronic correspondence, identity management reforms, and stricter accountability within agencies translate into real economic impact. They eliminate friction. They save time. They reduce stress. They help entrepreneurs redirect their energy from wrestling with institutions to building the businesses that create jobs.

What makes the reform approach stand out is its simplicity. It does not rely on noise, ceremony, or the usual theatrics of public office. It focuses on results. It focuses on systems. It focuses on function. And this is exactly what entrepreneurs need: a government that stops being a hurdle and starts behaving like an enabler.

The truth is that Nigeria’s biggest growth hack is not another grant programme or motivational initiative. It is competent public administration. It is a government that understands that a thriving private sector needs stable systems the way a plant needs light. When reforms create clarity, entrepreneurs gain scale. When processes become predictable, business risks shrink. When accountability increases, investor trust rises. These are not abstract benefits; they are the conditions under which new industries are born.

The average entrepreneur may never directly interact with the Ministry of Interior, but they will feel its impact in countless ways: faster travel, smoother documentation, less paperwork, better compliance systems, reduced operational bottlenecks, and a governance environment that supports rather than stifles ambition. Public service efficiency has always been the hidden foundation of a strong private sector. For too long, that foundation has been weak. What we are seeing now is a rebuilding effort that matters more than most people realise.

Nigeria’s real economic engine has never been crude oil. It has always been people – the small businesses, the freelancers, the founders, the creators, the innovators, the hustlers who convert scarcity into new enterprise. When governance works well, these people lift at once. When governance improves, entrepreneurship expands. When systems are clean, the economy becomes easier to navigate and easier to trust.

These reforms signal a new kind of social contract: a government that delivers and a citizenry that builds. If this model spreads across ministries, Nigeria will not need endless economic summits to debate growth. Growth will happen naturally because the environment will finally support it. Entrepreneurship will strengthen because the systems around it stop sabotaging it.

At its core, entrepreneurship is a relay race. Government hands the baton. Entrepreneurs run with it. Investors cheer from the sidelines. Society gets the win. For decades, Nigeria dropped the baton before the race even began. But the reforms we are seeing now suggest that perhaps, for the first time in a long time, the baton is being handed correctly.

And when government works, entrepreneurs win – every single time.

The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Students’ Union Affairs – Tertiary Education, has marked this year’s International Students’ Day with a charge for students to embrace entrepreneurship for them to be relevant in today’s world.

With the theme: ‘Empowering students as agents of innovation and change,’ the event had in attendance students and student leaders from tertiary institutions from across the state.

Speaking on the occasion, the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Students’ Union Affairs, Hon. Kappo Olawale Samuel, said International Students’ Day was historic and that it marked the struggle of students for better welfare.

‘This is a day celebrated globally to recognise students and the need to prepare them for the future.

We know that the society is changing rapidly and there is need for our youths to be ready for what would make them be able to compete globally. We brought Prof. Olufemi Obayori to deliver a lecture on entrepreneurship.

‘For the participants to take maximum advantage of the occasion, we brought some aides of the governor such as the SSA on Wealth Creation, SSA on Technical Education and others to also let the students know how they can benefit from the various programmes of the Lagos State government. These programmes are to make our students future ready. Moreover, they don’t need to wait until they graduate before they begin to start out as entrepreneurs,’ he said.

Olawale commended students and their leaders from within the state for their enthusiasm to learn from the resource persons brought to the event.

The Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hon. Tolani Sule, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Adeniran Kasali, said the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration is ready to make youths in the state fully prepared for the future and is pursuing a number of programmes and policies to make that happen.

The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Scholarship Board, Hon. Adaranijo Rasheedat, said the Board would not relent efforts at supporting students to make learning easier for them.

The Head of the Student Support Department of the ministry, Mrs Ibidapo-Obe Olubunmi, said the future is not abstract, as it is being shaped, refined and defined by actions being taken today.

The Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, represented by the Dean of Students Affairs, Dr Abatan Fatai, urged the students to see the need to prepare for the future.

Obayori who spoke on social entrepreneurship, said it was different from neoliberal entrepreneurship that focuses on rapacious acquisition of wealth.

He added that social entrepreneurship is rooted on social responsibility, solidarity and collective well being and urged students to go for it.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-General Waidi Shaibu, has called for a curriculum overhaul of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) that reflects contemporary security challenges.

He said the curriculum should focus on night training, physical fitness, artificial intelligence, and other emerging warfare domains.

The COAS made the call when he received the NDA Commandant, Maj-Gen Oluyemi Olatoye, at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.

According to him, these measures would ensure that young officers are ‘fully attuned to the realities of modern battlefields and equipped with the warrior ethos and battle-oriented leadership skills required to confront contemporary security challenges.’

General Shaibu also stressed the need to strengthen research centres, particularly the NDA Department of Military Science, as a strategic step towards boosting the National Defence Industry and enhancing indigenous capacity for military innovation and self-reliance.

He emphasized that a robust research framework would provide the intellectual backbone required for a modern, responsive and technologically advanced fighting force.

The COAS pledged his full support to the Commandant in achieving these objectives, reaffirming his commitment to ensure that the NDA produces officers who are ‘strategically sound, operationally competent and fully prepared’ to meet the evolving security demands of the nation.

The NDA Commandant assured that he would build on the legacies and structures established by his predecessors.

He solicited sustained support from the COAS to effectively realise the vision and mission of producing competent, disciplined and professional officers capable of safeguarding Nigeria’s security interests.

He thanked the Nigerian military leadership for the confidence reposed in him to lead the nation’s premier military training institution, describing the NDA as the ‘training factory’ for future officers of the Armed Forces.

The respective tenures of the late Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of both the National Coordinating Office (NAC) of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. Olusegun Awolowo Jr., stood out as beacons of ultimate professionalism and patriotic duty, contributing significantly to Nigeria’s export architecture and development.

The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), which made this known over the weekend, said the contributions of Awolowo Jr., a distinguished public servant and technocrat, strengthened the bridge between enterprise and national growth.

Awolowo Jr., who was a grandson of late foremost nationalist and statesman, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, died at the age of 62, with NACCIMA President Jani Ibrahim expressing deep regret and sorrow at his demise.

The NACCIMA President, in a statement, stated that within the broader ecosystem of Nigeria’s private sector, policy institutions and development frameworks, his work echoed a legacy rooted in disciplined leadership and strategic foresight.

‘His voice, often calm, yet compelling, added depth to conversations that helped shaped our national economic outlook,’ he added.

According to Ibrahim, ‘NACCIMA extends heartfelt condolences to the entire Awolowo clan, his wife, children, grandchildren, staff of both NAC and NEPC and many other colleagues and compatriots who cherished his professionalism, wisdom and personal warmth.

‘His passage is a reminder of the beauty of stewardship and the enduring power of a fulfilled life lived purposefully.’

The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) has lodged a formal petition with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) after its players were denied entry visas to compete at the on-going 2025 World Youth Championships in Romania.

The development has sparked concern within Nigeria’s table tennis community, as the setback threatens the country’s participation in one of the sport’s most prestigious youth tournaments.

In a letter signed by NTTF President Adesoji Tayo, the federation condemned the decision, describing it as a violation of the principles of international sportsmanship, inclusivity, and fair participation that ITTF and its partners uphold.

‘As an official representative of Nigeria and Africa in this prestigious global event, I firmly believe that the reasons provided for the visa refusal are unjust, discriminatory, and contrary to the spirit of unity which international sports is designed to foster,’ Tayo stated.

Despite weeks of intensive training by players and coaches, the visa denial has dampened the spirit of the contingent and resulted in financial losses for the federation. Nigeria was set to represent Africa in the boys’ U-19 and U-15 team events, having qualified as continental champions at the African Youth Championships in Lagos.

The NTTF further noted: ‘Since our inability to participate is not a fault of NTTF, we hereby formally notify the ITTF and the host federation, Romania Table Tennis Federation, that NTTF will not be liable for any penalties or financial obligations arising from accommodation or hospitality reservations made in relation to this event.’

Tayo urged ITTF to urgently intervene to prevent similar occurrences in the future, stressing that the visa refusal has disrupted Nigeria’s ambition of grooming another generation of world-class players.

Renowned historian and academic, Prof. Toyin Falola has praised Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State for its unstinting commitment to society’s moral reformation.

The Professor of African Studies described the university as ‘an articulation of conviction, discipline and divine leading’, adding from his research, public perception of the school is positive. Falola,on Tuesday, delivered a valedictory lecture on the institution’s campus in honour of outgoing Vice Chancellor Prof. Ademola Tayo.

The lecture was entitled: ‘The transformation of Babcock’. The event also culminated in the presentation of a book on the university, ‘Babcock University: A history of success’ written by the don.

Falola noted that Babcock is a fusion of morality and academic modernity,adding that it represents a fusion of faith and learning.

While urging the university to tap from its rich Alumni base world wide, the don charged the incoming Vice Chancellor Prof.Afolarin Olutunde Ojewole to intensify efforts to address high energy costs, economic volatility, saying fees can’t keep increasing. Falola, therefore, called for the establishment of a $200 million endowment fund.

He said: ‘The new VC has to build an endowment of $200m,build a digital ecosystem,and a strong alumni network; build a think tank of ethics and innovation. ‘The school should embark on cultural diplomacy; create a wide range of programmes around cultural diplomacy, align with nollywood,music.

‘It should also create a faith and science dialogue for the country, and explore possibilities of a global college. It must remain a university where values will light the path of science.’

Falola said teaching style must change from being authoritarian to being friendly, saying the former has become old.

‘AI is reshaping how knowledge is accessed,’ he said. ‘More than 90 percent of what you want to teach is already available through AI, and the shorter attention spans of Gen Z and Gen Alpha demand a new, proactive, friendship-driven approach to teaching rather than the old authoritarian model.’

The don presented  Tayo with the Thabo Mbeki Award for Leadership Excellence, on behalf of the University of Texas at Austin and with the approval of former South African President Thabo Mbeki.

The award recognises a leader ‘committed to the renaissance of Africa and an unblemished record of excellence in leadership.’

Tayo thanked Falola for the book on the university, saying it would be treasured for ever. He also thanked the historian for delivering the valedictory lecture, among other things.

The event also featured a cultural performance to entertain guests.

They came together with a shared vision to provide first-class education, combined with excellent moral and spiritual upbringing. Today, 30 years down the line, a group of Christian professionals from diverse fields consisting of captains of industry, bankers, teachers, doctors, accountants, architects, pharmacists, retired military officers and education enthusiasts, who initiated what is now known as Trinity Group and Trinity International College sure has a story to tell.

Accordingly, the Board of Governors of Trinity Group, last Thursday, visitedThe Vintage Press, the head office of The Nation Newspapers to tell their inspiring story of how they nurtured the group after its formation 30 years after. The delegation, which was led by Chairman, Board of Trustees, Trinity Group, Pastor Samuel Olatunji, included Chairman, Board of Trustees, Trinity University, Deacon Adebowale Tade; and Chairman, Board of Governors, Trinity International College, Engr. Bayo Kolade.

Others included Director of Education, Trinity International College, Mrs. Oluponle Rebecca Adeyemo; Principal, Junior School, Trinity International College, Mr. Nelson Omomo; Head, Corporate Affairs, Trinity University, Mr. Michael Bamigbola; and Human Resource Manager, Trinity International College, Mr. Smith Mukoro.

The school: Journey so far

Head, Corporate Affairs, Trinity University, Mr. Michael Bamigbola, who narrated the delegation’s mission to the Vintage Press editors, said in 1995, Trinity International College opened its doors to eight pioneering students at its temporary site in the Government Reserved Area (GRA), Ikeja, Lagos.

He also narrated that three years later, the college moved to its permanent site at Trinity Hills, Ofada, where it has since grown into a thriving community of faith, learning and excellence.

According to him, through the years, this mission has become a living legacy, carried forward by a dedicated community of administrators, teachers, parents, alumni, and board members – all working in one accord to build an enduring educational institution.

Bamigbola said the anniversary commemorates three decades of dedication to academic excellence, moral discipline, and holistic development of young people. He titled the theme of their celebration as, A Legacy of Excellence: 30 Years of Learning, Leadership, and Lifelong.

Welcoming the visitor

The Editor of The Nation, Mr. Adeniyi Adesina, who represented the newspaper’s managing director, Mr. Victor Ifijeh, said he was not around because he had an appointment.

Adeniyi, who was joined by the Managing Editor (Editorial Services), Mr. Lawal Ogienagbon, said: ‘We were to receive you together, but our managing director just called in this morning to say that he had to go to Abuja, which he didn’t plan earlier. So, then he delegated that we should receive you.

‘We are honoured to have you. Well, we didn’t know you have this large number of people coming. So, you are welcome. Briefly, I will just say one or two things about our organisation. This is the headquarters of the Vintage Press, publishers of The Nation newspaper.

‘We have bureaus in Abuja, Enugu, Abuja, Ibadan, and Port Harcourt. We also have correspondents in all the states of the federation. We cover the entire country.

‘This newspaper was founded on July 31, 2006. When it came into life, those who founded it felt that they wanted to cover this country simultaneously in real time. At that time, newspapers were doing what they called first and second editions. So, the publishers felt that we had reached a stage that this country would be reading the same stories.

‘So, they decided that it was time for Nigeria to be in that mood. To do that, they had to buy three presses – one in Lagos, one in Port Harcourt, and another one in Abuja.

‘That way, we were printing simultaneously in three places. We produced paper in Lagos, but printed simultaneously in those two other places. That way, we were able to cover the whole country.’

With that decision and within six months of publication, the editor said the newspaper became among the top three in the country. He added that the organisation also publishes Sporting Life and Gbelegbo, a Yoruba Language newspaper.

Vintage Press hailed for its remarkable feat

The leader of the delegation, Pastor Olatunji, congratulated the Vintage Press for the remarkable feat it has achieved in a short time.

‘It is remarkable in many respects and of course no great surprise, the antecedents of the brains and the persons behind this great media organisation, who deliver nothing less than what we are seeing and witnessing today.

‘So, on behalf of our group, we will like to commend this great initiative and the great accomplishment in the few years you have been in existence. And the innovation, the change and the impact you have made in different sectors, both in your industry and outside your industry and especially in the Nigerian community – East, West, North and South – and also in our mother language, with a newspaper like Gbelegbo. We are assured that our mother language, which is dear to many of us, will remain preserved ad infinitum.

The college’s mission

The college, according to leader of the delegation, was established as a co-educational and full boarding institution that would nurture students into godly, competent, and responsible leaders, with a mission to provide a world-class education that develops the intellectual, moral, and spiritual capacities of each learner, while nurturing leadership and responsibility towards the society.

On how the Trinity Group started, the leader of the delegation recalled that people of their ages had good education, even though not with popular access.

‘It was not so affordable. Our parents were agrarian and they were poor. So, even in the same family, from the same mother, some would go to school, some would not go to school. Others would go to the farm, and all that. And that high-quality delivery waned in the course of time.

‘It got watered down. Missionaries lost out. They were taken out at one time. And increasingly, professionals were declining, country was declining, curriculum was stale, character was disappearing, discipline collapsed, and it was becoming increasingly worrisome to any normal parent.

‘And for us, coming from the generation of the 60s and 70s and early 80s, that had tested good world-class education, we reminded ourselves what we received, and what we believed we owed our children and generations coming behind and to make a difference, to make an impact? We came together. That was 30 years ago, in 1995.

‘So, that started this experiment. We started with the secondary school. And that tiny dream, but very passionate, had flourished exceedingly so well beyond our imagination.’

He said to the glory of God, committed members of the earlier group stayed together, and remain together over these 30 years.

‘Seven years ago, we got a university licence, by the grace of God, and we have three locations today. The Ofada, our dominant location, where we have three of our schools, the college, the high school, and the primary school.

‘We have a permanent site, a main site for our university, a few kilometres away from that same Ofada. But the university is operating what we call the city campus, just next door to Queens College. We have those three locations to confirm that we are Trinity in truth and in deed, by the grace of God.

‘Our deliverables are solid, and we have continued to defend the values that we stand for, like the missionaries of old did, to ensure that pupils are not just clever intellectually, but also good in character and in values.

‘This is the news I brought to you. And we are doing what we can to ensure the vision is preserved for every generation by the grace of God. So, that is the story we are celebrating.’

Others members of delegation like Deacon Tade and Engr. Kolade also spoke on why they kept low in the past and then decided to tell their story while celebrating the anniversary.

Mrs. Adeyemo said the Trinity’s journey has been a journey of faith, excellence, consistency and growth. She also reeled the editors with the landmark laurels and awards won by the school locally and internationally.

‘We are making an impact. And of course, to the glory of God, we satisfy parents with our legacy of excellence,’ she said.

The Nation’s counsel

Mr. Adeniyi and Mr. Ogienagbon lauded the delegation for their tenacity and commitments.

They asked them to keep telling their stories for others to learn from them. They pledged the support of the newspaper’s management to the group.

The Federal Government has taken a major step towards ending preventable blindness across te country.

It has signed a new national eye-care Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Peek Vision, a global eye-health technology organisation.

The partnership is aimed at transforming how millions of Nigerians with vision impairment are identified, tracked, and connected to care.

The agreement, signed in Abuja on Tuesday, is expected to address longstanding gaps in access to eye care, especially in rural and underserved communities, where many people live with avoidable blindness but are never screened or linked to treatment.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Adekunle Salako, who endorsed it on behalf of the Federal Government, said the partnership would significantly expand Nigeria’s capacity to reach people at the last mile.

The minister noted that the country has a history of innovative eye-care programmes, recalling the popular JigiBola initiative of the early 1990s in Lagos State, which provided glasses to thousands of residents.

He said the new digital platform introduced through the MoU builds on that legacy by enabling health workers to identify people who need help and connect them directly to services.

Emphasising that misinformation and fear prevent many patients from seeking care early, the Ministry expressed optimism that the partnership will help solve this challenge by improving communication, screening, and referral systems nationwide.

Salako explained that the agreement aligns with the government’s Renewable Health Connect initiative, which focuses on school-based screening, cataract services, and the provision of corrective lenses.

He said the ministry was committed to driving full implementation, adding that the programme would ensure that technology reaches communities that have historically been left behind.

Speaking after the signing of the MoU, the Founder and CEO of Peek Vision, Prof. Andrew Bastawrous, said the initiative was driven by the urgent need to reach millions of Nigerians who live with avoidable vision loss but lack access to treatment.

Most people with vision loss, particularly those in rural areas with low income, don’t know that they can be treated, don’t know where to go to get treatment, if they are aware, and can’t access those services, he said.

The partnership, the CEO said, brings together the ministry and leading international NGOs, including Sightsavers, CBM, and Hands.

Under the arrangement, trained personnel will use smartphones and tablets to deliver accurate vision screening directly in homes, workplaces, and schools.

Bastawrous said this eliminates reliance on health facilities, adding: ‘Because if you find them and they don’t receive treatment, you’ve solved nothing.’

According to him, Peek Vision has developed a data platform that monitors every screened individual, tracks referrals, and identifies reasons why people fail to attend appointments

Bastawrous explained how data-driven insights have solved similar challenges in Kenya, where fears, myths, and cost barriers were identified and addressed through targeted interventions.

The power of data is to point to where the problem is. The power of compassion is to respond, the CEO said.

He confirmed that the Nigerian rollout begins immediately and involves no direct financial commitment from the Federal Government.

Peek Vision will be supported by its international partners, while the ministry retains full ownership of all data generated.

Bastawrous said a new programme, supported by Sightsavers, has begun with the screening of 5,000 people and targeting 1.2 million schoolchildren over the next two years.

The CEO added that the broader impact of improved vision goes beyond health.

‘Something as simple as a pair of magnifying glasses, which many people aren’t aware of, can increase learning potential by 20 to 50 percent. Yet remain inaccessible to people of all ages,’ he said.

Bastawrous noted that cataracts remain the most common cause of blindness but is fully treatable.

The CEO warned that most Nigerians with cataracts today may die without ever receiving care unless the system changes.

To date, he said, technology deployed through Peek Vision and its partners has screened 17 million people globally and connected more than 1.5 million to sight-restoring treatment.

Today marks the beginning of that journey to change that story, Bastawrous added.