Over 400,000 Nigerians have benefitted from the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and its implementation partner, the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation (TCF), for marking 15 years of the ‘Priceless Gift of Sight Programme’, which has provided free eye care to over 400,000 Nigerians. The programme, highlighted by a recent outreach event in Calabar, Cross River State, provided testing, optical services, surgeries, and disease management to combat preventable blindness.
Reverend (Mrs.) Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, wife of the Cross River State Governor said both organisations have demonstrated a genuine concern for humanity. According to her, “We are pleased that thousands of people across Nigeria, including many from Cross River and the neighbouring States, suffering from one form of eye defect or another, can now go back to their normal lives and pursue their aspirations.”
Mr Diran Olojo, FCMB’s Group Head of Corporate Affairs, emphasised that the initiative’s alignment with FCMB’s broader commitment to social sustainability and equal opportunity for all, in addition to the collaboration with the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation, has been instrumental in delivering critical eye care services.
As 90% of blind people globally live in poverty-stricken areas because of Blindness which often leads to loss of income, social isolation, and limited access to information, Olojo stated that the initiative is crucial in breaking the cycle of poverty and blindness as the Priceless Gift of Sight addresses a critical need.
BlossomNigeria commends First City Monument Bank, a part of the FCMB Group, that has remained committed to making life better and empowering communities where it operates. The ‘Priceless Gift of Sight Programme’, which is one of the bank’s social impact initiatives, has demonstrated how serious the Bank is about helping people and positively impacting the lives of Nigerians.
