By Emmanuel Iheaka

OWERRI – A total of 797 people have benefited from free cataract surgery in Imo State, as part of a health outreach organized by the NNPC/Seplat Joint Ventures.

The beneficiaries were among 23,447 individuals screened for various eye conditions under the Joint Venture’s 2026 corporate social investment program.

The Director of External Affairs and Social Performance at Seplat Energy Plc, Mrs. Chioma Afe, revealed this during the opening ceremony of the “Eye Can See” initiative in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

Represented by the General Manager of Corporate Social Investment & Social Performance, Mrs. Esther Icha, she said the initiative aims to improve the health and wellbeing of host communities by providing free eye care services, including screenings, reading glasses, and cataract surgeries.

In addition to eye care, beneficiaries were screened for other health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes and received professional counselling. Over 13,525 pairs of eyeglasses were also distributed during the three-day outreach, which ran from March 24 to 26, 2026.

Afe noted that the high cost of eye care makes initiatives like this essential and stressed the Joint Venture’s commitment to sustaining the program, which began in 2017. She added that the initiative aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 on Good Health and Well-Being, highlighting the Joint Venture’s dedication to high-impact social investments.

“For us as a company, we are very happy to do this because of the positive impacts on stakeholders at the community level,” she said.

Acting Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Olanrewaju Igandan, represented by Bunmi Lawson, Deputy Manager, External Relations, praised Seplat Energy for restoring both vision and hope to many community members. He said: “NNPC Limited is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of people who host our businesses and operations. These efforts have changed many lives, giving people the opportunity to see clearly and enjoy life again. While there is more work to be done, the goal is not just eye care but also to support welfare and build more prosperous communities.”

Beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the life-changing initiative. Dr. Fred Nnamdi said, “It was a wonderful experience. I never expected this. It went beyond my imagination, highly successful. I trust God that my sight will be wonderful.”

Lolo Igolo Njemanze, who had not been able to use his right eye for two years, said: “Yesterday, I underwent surgery and everything went fine. I thank the Joint Venture Partners and pray God continues to bless them.”

Chief Ernest Onyeneke, a community leader, described the experience as “very pleasant” and commended the medical team for their service. He added, “They are watching out for the poor masses, the young and the old.”

The outreach, which attracted a large turnout from across the state and neighboring communities, screened an average of 700 people per day and provided essential eye care services free of charge.