Eye Centre: Osun Lauds Lions Clubs International As Four-Year Partnership Ends
•Over 100,000 Residents Benefit From Initiative
“The reality of life is that whatever has a beginning, will surely have an end”, this were the words of Lion Kola Oyekanmi, the project chairperson, Lions Club Comprehensive Eye Care Development Project, following the end of Lions Clubs International Foundation’s four-year partnership with the Osun State Government on quality Eye Care initiative.
In February 2019, the Osun State Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Lions Clubs International Foundation to revitalise the eye care centre situated at Asubiaro Specialist Hospital, Osogbo to better serve the people of the State.
The initiative started in 2018 during the administration of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who gave the Lions Club permission to rehabilitate the then-abandoned ophthalmology unit at Asubiaro Specialist Hospital.
The over $500,000 project aimed to offer comprehensive eye care services, including ophthalmological, medical, surgical, and optical care, to the citizens and people of neighbouring states.
Following the approval by Aregbesola, Lions Clubs International Foundation rehabilitated and revitalised the centre which was christened, Lions Eye Centre.
The project which was originally scheduled to take off in 2019 and end in 2023 had to be delayed until December 16, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lateness of medical equipment.
The four-year intervention has now ended with the state government expected to take full charge of the centre and continue the good work which has benefited more than 20,000 residents of Osun.
Speaking after the 12th joint management committee meeting on Wednesday, March 25, Lion Oyekanmi explained how the project started, saying, “The project has many facets. The first one is that we had the ophthalmology unit here at the state specialist hospital, Asubiaro that has been abandoned for years and luckily for us, former governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, gave us the site to develop and rebuild and that is what we are seeing here today.
“This is a partnership between the Osun state government and Lions Club International. In accordance with the terms and conditions of the MOU, we set up a joint management committee that meets regularly and the last one which we had on March 25, 2026, is the 12th of such.”
Lion Oyekanmi said apart from revitalising the site, Lions Clubs International Foundation also equipped the centre with modern equipment from India and also trained all the staff in the centre in India and Uganda.
“Having rebuilt this place, we equipped the centre with modern equipment which was bought from India. We also trained the staff working at the centre in India and Uganda.”
On how the centre will be sustained following the exit of Lions Club, Oyekanmi said, “So far so good, we are happy to report that record has shown that the centre would be able to sustain itself even after the exit of Lions Clubs. The project is a four-year intervention which took off on December 16, 2021, and has now ended.”
The project grant administrator,
Engr. Oyewole Oyewumi, said Lions Club through the project, was able to prevent reversible eye blindness for over 20,000 Osun people.
Oyewumi who is the Lions Clubs International Foundation Area 8B leader comprising Nigeria and Ghana, said, “Before the intervention of Lions Clubs International Foundation, I would say that eye care has not been this good but now, in the last four years, Lions have been able to prevent reversible eye blindness for over 20,000 indigenes.
“The foundation has laid a flagship for the Osun State government to replicate in the three senatorial districts. As part of the package for the project, Lions Clubs organised capacity building by ensuring that the health officers and doctors were trained both at home and abroad. The eye care centre was also equipped with the latest modern equipment.”
The chairman, Osun State Hospitals Management Board, Dr Kingsley Akinroye, said the eye care centre has benefited thousands of residents.
“On behalf of the state government, I would like to sincerely appreciate the Lions Clubs International Foundation for this generous gesture. It has indeed been a fruitful journey. The partnership has been solid and we hope for more future collaborations.
“Before this intervention, eye care services in Osun State were virtually nonexistent. Most patients who need eye care services, after being attended to at general hospitals and require further attention, must either go to Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital in Ile-Ife, University College Hospital Ibadan or as far as Lagos,” Akinroye said.
The outreach officer for Lions Eye Care Development Project, Osun State, Olufunmike Odesanmi, said her team visited all the local governments and one area office during the duration of the project with over 120,000 residents benefiting from the initiative.
“Our target for every outreach was to be able to capture those with eye disease conditions. We enlighten the beneficiaries through active education in local languages with the involvement of community leaders and community volunteers. The outreach captured all ages, irrespective of gender or religion,” Odesanmi stated.
Speaking during the outreach at Inisa, Odo Otin Local Government, on Thursday, Elemo of Inisa, Chief Jimoh Oyelayo, appreciated Lions Clubs International Foundation for bringing the initiative to the community.
Chief Oyelayo described the outreach as a timely intervention for the people, noting that, “this will go a long way in assisting our people. We are very grateful.”
The outreach team conducted comprehensive eye screenings, dispensed medications, and provided corrective glasses to several beneficiaries.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
