Odita Sunday 
NEDC Deploys N3bn Eye Equipment to Maiduguri Hospital, Tackles Avoidable Blindness in North-East
By Audu Kurama, Maiduguri
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has procured and installed eye and optical equipment worth over N3 billion at the Borno State Eye Hospital, Maiduguri, in a major intervention aimed at strengthening specialist healthcare delivery in the region.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Ambassador Mohammed Alkali Goni, disclosed this on Monday during an inspection and assessment tour of the hospital, following an earlier needs-assessment visit carried out by the Commission months ago.
According to Alkali, the intervention covers not only the procurement and installation of sophisticated ophthalmic machines but also the training of personnel to ensure sustainability and optimal utilisation of the equipment.
“By aligning the deployment of advanced equipment with structured professional training, the Commission is tackling avoidable blindness, expanding access to specialist care, and strengthening the resilience of tertiary health institutions across the North-East. The impact of this programme is both far-reaching and enduring,” Alkali said.
He assured that additional equipment would be supplied to the hospital, stressing that the Commission’s intervention was designed as a comprehensive package that includes capacity building and institutional support.
During the monitoring exercise, the NEDC boss, accompanied by senior management staff, was conducted round the studios, conference hall and other key facilities by Professor Abdul Mahdi, a Consultant Ophthalmologist at the hospital.
Prof. Mahdi explained that many of the machines installed were first-of-their-kind in the entire North-East region, noting that such equipment had never previously been available in the zone.
“Most of these machines were completely unavailable in the North-East before now. It is only through the NEDC’s intervention that we can now offer this level of eye and optical services,” he said.
He added that technicians and medical personnel had undergone two weeks of intensive training, facilitated by experts from Nigeria and the United Kingdom, to ensure proper operation and maintenance of the equipment.
The consultant described the intervention as a major relief to Borno residents and patients from neighbouring states who previously had to travel long distances to access specialised eye care.
Prof. Mahdi further commended the Commission for addressing long-standing gaps in equipment, manpower and infrastructure, particularly in the face of increasing patient inflow that had overstretched existing facilities.
It will be recalled that the NEDC recently commenced a two-week Ophthalmology Equipment Set-Up and Training Programme at the Maiduguri Eye Hospital, marking another milestone in its health sector interventions.
Day-one activities included installation, coupling and configuration of state-of-the-art ophthalmic equipment, alongside hands-on technical and clinical training sessions led by Prof. Abdull Mohammed Mahdi and co-facilitated by Dr Abuh Sunday, Chief Consultant in Ophthalmology.
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