The fourth edition of Vision First, the flagship health programme of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) began in Mushin Local Council Development Area of Lagos State July 7, allowing people to receive eye and cardiovascular screenings, surgeries, and general health education.
On the first day, more than 40 eye surgeries were performed, with over 700 hundred people from Mushin and other parts of Lagos receiving different forms of health care.
The five-day outreach, organised in collaboration with Kolmarg Eyesight Foundation, was formally declared open on Tuesday at a ceremony attended by officials from NNPC, SNEPCo, Lagos State Government, Mushin local council and leaders of communities.
“This year’s outreach is particularly special, as it is supported by the Bonga North Project as part of its social investment commitments,” SNEPCo Managing Director, Ronald Adams, said in a speech read by Head, Corporate Relations, Abubakar Ahmed.
He said: “Following the Final Investment Decision on Bonga North earlier this year, we are beginning to see the benefits materialize , starting with initiatives like this that deliver direct and lasting value to communities.”
The Chief Upstream Investment Officer of the National Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Oluwaseyi Omotowa, represented by Head, Business Services, Nkechi Anaedobe said: “This initiative embodies our commitment to improving the health and well-being of communities where we operate. The Vision First programme is a testament to our partnership’s dedication to providing accessible and comprehensive healthcare services to our people.”
The Director, Kolmarg Eyesight Foundation, Dr Olukorede Adenuga, and Chairman, Mushin Local Council Development Area, Emmanuel Bamigboye said they were happy to collaborate with NNPC/Shell and co-venture partners, Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited, TotalEnergies Nigeria and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Ltd, in efforts to bring comprehensive healthcare to the doorsteps of the people.
Since its inception in 2022, the Vision First programme has reached more than 4,000 individuals, distributed nearly 2,000 eye glasses while nearly 200 people have undergone vision-restoring procedures, from cataract removals to other corrective surgeries.
Provision of healthcare is just one aspect of the social investments of NNPC/SNEPCo and co-venture partners which have improved lives in internally displaced camps in Northeast Nigeria, rebuilt hospital wards and educational institutions in addition to secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate scholarship awards and donation of cancer treatment equipment.