VisionSpring Warns 32% of Nigerians Lack Access to Affordable Eyes Glasses

Oluchi Chibuzor

VisionSpring, a social enterprise organisation, has warned that about 32 percent of Nigerians do not have access to the affordable eyeglasses they need to see clearly.

This percentage, according to them, revealed that 70 million of Nigerians have uncorrected blurry vision and are mostly found in the low-income communities.

Speaking recently at an event in Lagos to accelerate the use of affordable eyeglasses, VisionSpring CEO, Ella Gudwin, said they would continue to engage in an effort to tackle blurry vision problems in Nigeria.

Gudwin, however, noted that a combination of a lack of affordable eyeglasses and stigma associated with wearing eyeglasses prevents Nigerians from getting the glasses they need to see clearly.

According to him, “In Nigeria, 32 percent of people do not have access to the affordable eyeglasses they need to see clearly.”

Meanwhile, to address this problem, VisionSpring launched a new range of eyeglasses with a broad array of style and colours, and highly affordable frames, specifically targeted at those on lower incomes, as well as mid-range and more premium products.

According to him, “Today VisionSpring, the social enterprise committed to accelerating the use of affordable eyeglasses, announced a new range of eyeglasses aimed at tackling blurry vision in Nigeria. “More than 70 million Nigerians have uncorrected blurry vision.  In other words, about one in three Nigerians just need a simple pair of eyeglasses to see clearly. Most of those who need eyeglasses and do not have them are in low-income communities.

“Eyeglasses don’t just help us to see better, they are a part of our identity and our personal style. At VisionSpring we believe that every eyeglasses-wearer should be able to choose a pair of frames that they love.”

In his remark, the African Regional Director, VisionSpring, Gabriel Ogunyemi, said eyeglasses can improve a person’s ability to do a wide variety of day-to-day activities and have been shown through academic research to help people increase their productivity at work and enhance their well-being.

He said further that a recent study published earlier this year found that incomes of people in low-income communities can grow by a third when they start wearing eyeglasses.

“As of 2023, VisionSpring corrected the vision of more than 12 million people living on less than $4 per-day, unlocking more than $2.6 billion in income earning potential,” he said.