Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, who represents Sokoto North Senatorial District, has launched a free eye surgeries www.nass.gov.ngthat is expected to provide sight-restoring services to no fewer than 5,000 residents of Sokoto State.
The initiative, which officially kicked off at the senator’s constituency office located along Garba Duba Road in Sokoto metropolis, is being executed in partnership with Vision Savers Eye Services and the Sokoto Specialist Hospital.
Representing Senator Wamakko at the event, Almustapha Alkali, the Permanent Secretary of the Sokoto State Ministry of Agriculture, said the five-day medical outreach would cover critical services including free eye surgeries, distribution of corrective eyeglasses, and essential medications. He noted that beneficiaries were carefully selected from all 23 local government areas of the state.
“This is a well-organized programme designed not just to treat, but to comfort and restore dignity to thousands who are battling avoidable blindness and severe visual impairments. The medical team has been mobilized, logistics perfected, and patient welfare fully considered,” Alkali emphasized.
This is not Senator Wamakko’s first foray into vision-related healthcare. In 2017, over 3,150 patients benefited from a similar programme. The number increased to 6,000 in 2018. With this year’s initiative targeting 5,000 people, Wamakko has solidified his commitment to healthcare as a core component of constituency development.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Kamal Umar, Chairman of Vision Savers Eye Services, highlighted the global urgency of preventable blindness, stating that someone goes blind every 10 minutes somewhere in the world—often due to conditions that are treatable with timely medical intervention.
“Senator Wamakko’s vision—pun intended—is one of compassion and foresight. By investing in eye care, he is not only giving people their sight back but also enabling them to regain their independence and productivity,” Dr. Umar remarked.
He also urged beneficiaries and their families to pray for the continued health and success of the senator, describing him as a “true servant of the people.”
As hundreds of hopeful patients queued under tents for screening, many wore expressions of gratitude—some having endured years of blurry vision or complete sight loss due to cataracts and other treatable conditions. For them, this outreach is more than just a medical intervention—it is a new lease on life.
