The Vice Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, Professor Ayodeji Agboola, says the N1 billion endowment fund established by renowned ophthalmic surgeon Dr. Kunle Hassan will position the university as a leading centre for ophthalmology research in Africa.
Agboola made this known on Wednesday during the sod-turning ceremony for the N500 million Kunle Hassan Foundation Eye Institute at the Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences, OOU, Sagamu campus. The event also featured the unveiling of another N500 million professorial chair in Ophthalmology endowed for the university.
The Vice Chancellor revealed that about 4.25 million Nigerians live with visual impairments, noting that over 80 percent of cases of blindness are preventable. He said the new professorial chair and international eye institute would help tackle eye health challenges in the country.
He commended Dr. Hassan for contributing to improved access to quality eye care in Nigeria.
Agboola said, ‘The future of medicine is transforming before our eyes. Artificial Intelligence is now capable of diagnosing retinal diseases early, predicting visual disorders and assisting in complex surgical procedures with astonishing accuracy.
‘With this initiative, OOU is now positioned to be a continental leader in ophthalmic research and AI-driven medical innovation. Sagamu has entered a new chapter of medical excellence.’
He described Dr. Hassan as ‘not just an eye surgeon but a visionary leader who sees beyond the retina and into the deeper purpose of humanity,’ adding that ‘through dedication, innovation and sacrifice, he has built more than a medical institution – he has built a legacy of hope.’
In his remarks, Dr. Hassan said between four and six million Nigerians suffer from preventable eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataract and infections that could lead to blindness.
He said, ‘Over 4 to 6 million Nigerians are battling different kinds of eye challenges in the country and most of them are preventable like cataract, glaucoma, infection of the eyes among others.
‘And there is only one eye doctor to about 500,000 whereas the recommendation is one eye doctor to 15,0000, so we have a lot to cover.
‘That is one of the reasons behind funding this institute, when you trained a lot of middle technical manpower, with technology, they can be empowered to go to the villages and rural areas and through telemedicine relate it to a centre like this institute to know what to do.
‘So, we are building a sort of team that could penetrate our communities to reduce the burden of blindness in the country. You know that when someone is blind, it doesn’t affect the person alone, you have to get someone to lead the person around, the cost of blindness is huge.
‘When we curb blindness, it impact on productivity and general prosperity of the country. It is for this purpose that we are encouraging public private partnership to complement whatever the government is doing to ensure that people’s access to qualitative eye healthcare is greatly improved upon.’
He expressed concern over the shortage of eye doctors, explaining that the current ratio of one doctor to 500,000 patients falls far below the global recommendation of one to 15,000.
Dr. Hassan said his investment in the projects was his way of giving back to society and supporting the training of middle-level technical manpower to extend eye care to local communities.