First Bank to help 10,000 visually impaired Nigerians

First Bank of Nigeria Limited on Tuesday unveiled plans to deepen its intervention in the health sector with the empowerment of 10,000 visually impaired Nigerians.

The 10,000 visually impaired low-income Nigerians, according to the bank, will be provided with free pairs of eye glasses.

The glasses are to be distributed to them within a period of two years.

Speaking in Abuja during the launch of a partnership with Vision Spring, the firm that will supply the glasses, the Executive Director, Public Sector, First Bank Nigeria, Mr Abdullahi Ibrahim, said the initiative was in line with the Corporate Social Responsibility objective of the lender.

He said under the partnership, the bank would provide the financial support for the company to provide 10,000 pairs of glasses to Nigerians who were earning less than $4 per day.

Ibrahim explained that the partnership was designed to advance social impact by providing vision screening as well as eye glasses for low-income earners.

Ibrahim expressed confidence that a committed, well-funded and well-implemented programme for the visually impaired would enhance the goal of the bank in promoting quality education, good health and welfare for the stakeholders.

He said, “The First Bank and Vision Spring partnership launch is one of the key activities of the bank’s 2018 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Week.

“In partnering Vision Spring by providing eye glasses for the bank’s stakeholders with impaired vision such as customers, local community members and students where the bank operates, the bank will be advancing social and economic impact.”

Ibrahim added, “With good vision, the beneficiaries can work and earn, they can also acquire knowledge. Good vision can equally enable beneficiaries to stay safe as they go about their day to day activities.

“Our goal is to empower 10,000 people in two years by providing screening and discounted eye glasses. We are beginning with 2,000 people and will scale up subsequently.”

Apart from empowering the visually impaired, Ibrahim explained that the bank had designed programmes for small and medium enterprises to thrive and develop the national economy.

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