Rotary Club of Ikoyi, Others Storm Ikoyi-Obalende To Eliminate Preventable Vision and Hearing Impairment Among School Children

The Rotary Club of Ikoyi and other Rotary International Districts have stormed the Obalende Primary School, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, for a Vision and Hearing Screening Programme for public primary school pupils in Lagos State under the Rotary Global Grant project.

The programme was flagged off on Monday, July 6, 2026, and is a humanitarian intervention funded through the Rotary Global Grant with support from the District Designated Fund (DDF) and strategic partners.

The intervention is aimed at detecting vision and hearing impairments at an early stage.

The initiative goes beyond screening by providing lasting medical interventions, including the provision of hearing aids, prescription of eyeglasses, medications and corrective surgeries where necessary.

In its maiden phase, the project successfully screened over 350 pupils from ten public primary schools within the Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA), marking the beginning of Rotary District 9112’s ambitious plan to reach 50,000 public school pupils across Lagos State.

The event attracted an impressive gathering of government officials, education stakeholders, healthcare professionals, Rotary leaders, volunteers and development partners.

The District Governor of Rotary International District 9112, Rotarian Layi Abidoye; the President of the Rotary Club of Ikoyi, Rotarian Christopher Ehiogie; the Assistant Governor and Primary Contact for the Global Grant Project, Rotarian Basirat Giwa; the President-Elect of the Rotary Club of Ikoyi, Rotarian Christopher Amakulo; Assistant Governors Austin Irabor and Nkeiruka Akarutu-Balogun.

Others are Past Assistant Governor John Senaya; Past President Wasiu Bello; the Club Service Projects Chair, Rotarian Omolara Oyerinde; the Chairman, Service Projects Committee and Past President, Rotarian Boheje Egbe-Okpenge; the Club Secretary, Rotarian Sabor Garuba; Dr. Jombo Douglas; as well as the President of the Rotary Club of Gbagada, Rotarian Adeyemi Lawal, Rotarian Joan Esho, Rotarian Oluseye Odukoya and many other distinguished Rotarians and guests.

Among the dignitaries present were the Supervisor for Education, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA, Mrs. Funlola Adedayo; the Head of the Education Department, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA, Mr. Adewumi Kayode Adewusi; Mr. Awosola Ojetola and Mr. Saheed Sasore.

In his address, the District Governor of Rotary International District 9112, Rotarian Layi Abidoye, reaffirmed the district’s commitment to ensuring that every child diagnosed with serious hearing or vision challenges receives the necessary medical intervention.

He disclosed that the project will provide corrective surgeries, hearing aids, prescription eyeglasses, medications and other specialized treatments for children requiring advanced care, with additional support coming through the District Designated Fund (DDF).

He added that the programme is currently focused on public primary schools but will gradually expand across Lagos State in line with Rotary International’s vision of creating lasting impact.

Speaking during the flag-off, the President of the Rotary Club of Ikoyi, Rotarian Christopher Ehiogie described the programme as the club’s first flagship service project of the 2026–2027 Rotary Year, noting that it reflects Rotary International’s theme, “Unite for Good to Create Lasting Impact.”

He explained that the project aligns with three key Areas of Focus of Rotary International—Basic Education and Literacy, Maternal and Child Health, and Disease Prevention and Treatment—and emphasized that Rotary’s objective extends beyond screening to providing lasting solutions.

The Assistant Governor and Primary Contact for the Global Grant Project, Rotarian Basirat Giwa, disclosed that Rotary International District 9112 aims to screen 50,000 public primary school pupils.

According to her, children diagnosed with hearing or vision impairments will receive hearing aids, prescription eyeglasses, medications and corrective surgeries where necessary, while the club also plans to return during the next academic calendar to conduct another phase of the programme.

She appealed to government at all levels to sustain the programme by continuing from where Rotary’s intervention ends.

On behalf of the Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA, Mrs. Funlola Adedayo commended the Rotary Club of Ikoyi and Rotary International District 9112 for bringing the life-changing intervention to the council area and expressed optimism for stronger collaboration in future educational and health initiatives.

Some of the partnering clubs include the Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metro; Rotary Club of Gbagada; Rotary Club of Agege; Rotary Club of Ota; Rotary Club of Yeovil, United Kingdom; Rotary Club of Guildford Wey, United Kingdom and the Rotary Club of Brookhaven (Atlanta), United States of America.

The Rotary Global Grant Project is among the most ambitious child health initiatives currently undertaken by Rotary International District 9112.

The successful implementation of the programme was made possible through the support of strategic partners, including Decibel, the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), Unique Eye Centre, GSS Global Sight Solutions (United Kingdom), Vintage Hearing Foundation (VHF) and Laider Consulting.