A public health expert and Programme Officer with Sightsavers Nigeria, Dr Joshua Ibenu said 1.1 million Nigerians are blind but there are not enough ophthalmologists to take care of eye and vision conditions in the country.

Dr Ibenu said 0.78 per cent of Nigerians have some form of blindness in all ages and the number increases to 4.2 per cent in older age groups.

Ibenu said this at the two-day capacity building for media practitioners organised by Sightsavers Nigeria in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

According to him, it is estimated that 1,130,000 individuals aged 40 or above are currently blind in Nigeria and the North West geo-political zone has the largest number of blind adults (28.6 per cent) being the zone with the largest population.

He further said that 2,700,000 adults aged 40 or above are estimated to have moderate visual impairment and an additional 400,000 adults are severely visually impaired.

“Thus a total of 4.25 million adults aged 40 or above in Nigeria are visually impaired or blind,” he said.

The expert noted that if visual impairment is tackled, the world could save over $400bn annually. (The PUNCH)

•The eye