The Eye Bank for Restoring Sight Nigeria has unveiled veteran actress and philanthropist, Joke Silva, as its Brand Ambassador, as part of efforts to increase public awareness and encourage cornea donation across the country.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in Lagos, Chairman of the Board of Governors, Doctor Festus Oshoba, said the organisation was established to promote the donation, collection, storage and use of transplantable corneas to reduce avoidable blindness caused by damaged or diseased corneas.
Oshoba explained that the Eye Bank, established in 2004 as a joint project of the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria and the Federal Nigeria Society for the Blind, operates with the motto, “Never Ignore Restorable Blindness.”
He said its activities are supported by Nigeria’s legal framework on eye and organ donation, including the 1973 legislation governing the therapeutic use of eyes and relevant provisions of the National Health Act 2014.
According to him, the organisation aims to provide donor corneas and other tissues for transplantation, train personnel in eye harvesting and preservation, and promote public participation in cornea donation.
He stressed that cornea donation takes place after death and does not involve removing the entire eye in the conventional corneal transplant process.
The Medical Director of the Eye Bank for Restoring Sight Nigeria, Doctor Mosunmade Faderin, said corneal blindness is one of the reversible forms of blindness that can be addressed through corneal transplantation.
She stressed that a survey conducted at the Pacelli School for the Blind indicated that about 75 percent of some children at the school could potentially have avoided blindness if they had received timely corneal transplants.
Faderin said the Eye Bank currently has more than 200 patients on its waiting list, highlighting the urgent need for increased cornea donation and sustained support for the organisation.
According to her, the Eye Bank has facilitated more than 95 successful corneal transplants, including procedures involving 19 children.
She explained that the Eye Bank does not perform corneal transplants itself but facilitates access to donor tissues and works with qualified corneal surgeons and healthcare institutions.
The Medical Director also called for greater public understanding of cornea donation, noting that cultural beliefs, misconceptions and fears surrounding death and organ donation remain major challenges.
Sharing his experience, a corneal transplant beneficiary, Raphael Oguntibeju, recounted how he regained his sight after undergoing a corneal transplant in 2022.
He said before the procedure, he was unable to perform basic daily activities independently, but began seeing immediately after the transplant and can now read, eat and move around without assistance.
Also speaking, Lionel Kunle Sodipo, whose late brother donated his corneas, described the decision as a difficult but ultimately rewarding experience for his family.
He encouraged Nigerians to consider cornea donation as a way of helping people regain their sight even after the donor has passed away.
Similarly, Vice Chairman of the Eye Bank’s Board of Governors and donor, Fola Akande, shared her family’s experience following the death of her mother in 2012.
She said her mother’s corneas were successfully harvested and donated, with the recipient still able to see today.
Akande urged Nigerians to embrace cornea donation, describing it as a gift that costs the donor nothing but can transform another person’s life.
Accepting her appointment as Brand Ambassador, Joke Silva said she was honoured to support the Eye Bank’s advocacy campaign.
Silva, who comes from a family with a strong medical background, emphasised the importance of advocacy and public education in improving healthcare outcomes.
She called on Nigerians to support local solutions rather than depending heavily on foreign countries for services that can be developed within Nigeria.
The Actress stressed that cornea donation after death costs the donor nothing but can give another person the opportunity to see.
She said her role as Brand Ambassador would be focused on helping Nigerians understand the importance of cornea donation and encouraging more people to pledge their corneas after death.
The Eye Bank for Restoring Sight Nigeria said it plans to expand donor registration and advocacy across the country, strengthen partnerships with tertiary hospitals, establish a cornea preservation and training centre, and seek international technical and financial support.
The organisation expressed optimism that increased public awareness and collaboration would help make Nigeria more self-sufficient in corneal transplantation and ultimately restore sight and renew hope for thousands of Nigerians living with corneal blindness.
