Nigerian Optometrist Association (NOA) is the unifying group of all licensed optometrists in Nigeria. Since the first edition in 1976, the NOA National Conference has grown into the largest gathering of eye care professionals in Africa featuring over 3000 local and international optometrists, other eye care professionals, industry players and exhibitors, eminent speakers, distinguished guests from across various sectors of the economy, etc., in one venue for three (3) consecutive days!
NIGERIAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION AT A GLANCE
The Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA) is the umbrella organization of all licensed and registered optometrists in Nigeria. Formed in 1968 and now with over 4000 members, the Association has chapters in virtually all states of the federation and also in the FCT. She prides herself as the prime advocacy group for eye health and vision care issues in Nigeria. The NOA is focused on the improvement of the visual health status of Nigerians and improvement of the entire eye care delivery system in Nigeria. The NOA is a pioneer member of the African Council of Optometry (AFCO) and a long-standing member of the World Council of Optometry (WCO).
National Office: Suite 219 Jinifa Plaza, Plot 1014 Samuel Ademulegun Adesoji Street, Central Business District, Abuja
Phone: +2348055037693, email: info@noang.org, website: www.noang.org
Focal Person: Dr Ozy Okonokhua, President +2348054347774, president@noang.org
Annual Conferences/Vision Expo
Since 1976, the NOA has been organizing the NOA national Conference as an advocacy tool for taking the message of eye care and public health across the country. Over the past 43 editions, the NOA has used the events to educate/enlighten the public on eye health using various print and electronic media. There have also been persistent advocacy messages to key audiences, policy and decision makers, etc. During the CSR projects that accompany the conference, over 30,000 indigent persons from numerous rural communities have benefitted from the free eye care services provided by the NOA, with no fewer than 15,000 prescription eyeglasses distributed to in-need persons. No fewer than 10,000 persons have gotten prescription drugs for managing various eye ailments, while at least 3,000 persons have been referred for further management of complex eye care cases. Beyond the immediate benefits is the more important access provided to many of these beneficiaries to enter the main eye care system and manage/maintain proper and regular eye care in order to reduce the incidences of blindness due to avoidable causes. Depleting the burgeoning number of visually impaired in Nigeria is quite a task that requires the support and contribution of all in order to reduce the economic burden blindness and visual impairment imposes on the country.
The scientific sessions of the conference has been an avenue for sharpening the knowledge and skill base of optometrists and other eye care professionals who participate in these conferences, in order to boost their capacities to deliver efficient and effective services for the teeming Nigerian population in need of quality eye care services
Previous CSRs
- Collaboration with the FRSC to conduct the First Ever national drivers survey in 2016
- Nationwide training of school teachers in 3 pilot schools in each state of the federation in 2017
- “My Sight My Right” child eye health initiative targeted at providing quality eye care for 40000 children aged between 5 and 14 at no cost in 2018
- Quality eye care services provided for inmates and officers of the Nigerian Correctional Services nationwide in 2018.
- Donation of quality informational materials and quality eye care services provided to media organizations nationwide in 2018
LEADERSHIP
In over fifty years of existence, the NOA has had an unbroken line of succession across 14 different presidents, a prime indicator of a stable leadership organogram. The organization has never had any leadership tussle in all these years. The NOA organogram comprise:
Board of Trustees (BOT): Made up of ten (10) notable Nigerians who are also members of the NOA, spread across the four zones of the Association. They hold the foundation on which the organization runs.
National Executive Council (NEC): Made up of the President, four zonal Vice Presidents, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary and the Public Relations Officer. The NEC implements the strategies and policies of the Association and oversees the day-to-day running of the Association. NOA programmes are executed through vendors where such involves technical (non-professional) or large-scale processes, through members (when professionally-oriented) or through the staff at the NOA secretariat for routine administrative duties. Where directives trickle down the chain to the chapters, the local NOA organogram is activated to carry out functions.
House of Delegates: Comprises all members of the above two in addition to Chairmen and Secretaries of the chapters of the NOA and affiliate groups. This body decides on the general policy of the Association.
General Membership: Comprises all of the earlier three groups in addition to every other member of the Association. The General membership ratifies all decisions taken by the Association on any issue.
ACTIVITIES OF THE NOA
PUBLIC HEALTH
The NOA has been at the forefront of advocacy efforts to improve public eye health in Nigeria. She has been the chief mobilizer for National and international public eye health events such as the World Sight Day, World Glaucoma Day, World Optometry Day, etc. These events and other platforms (such as the NOA Conferences) have served as advocacy tool for taking the message of eye care and public health across the country, as the NOA use the opportunity of the public attention to drive in key messages on eye health, educate/enlighten the public on eye health using various print and electronic media, and persistently take advocacy messages to key policy and decision makers, etc.
During the 2018 World Sight day, the NOA partnered with over 50 media houses across Nigeria to reach out to the public and increase awareness on public eye health and vision care. She used the occasion to donate copies of some of her publications to the library of these media outfits, to help improve public health education. Such publications include: Optometry in Nigeria: History and Perspectives (2018), A Compendium of Optometry in Nigeria (2016), Handbook for Teachers on Vision Screening of School Children (2018), Drivers’ Vision Survey Report (2017), fliers, posters and videos on various eye care issues, etc.
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
The NOA is a key stakeholder in sustaining professional education in Nigeria. She has been in the vanguard of the major developments in optometric education in Nigeria, and has supported in equipping optometry training schools in Nigeria. In 2008, she donated clinical equipment to all optometry training schools in Nigeria, and followed up with awarding scholarships to six (6) optometry students in Nigeria in 2009.
Through her numerous educational resources such as her Annual National Scientific Conference (held since 1976) and her mentorship programme, the NOA helps maintain quality education and professional standards of practice in Optometry. These have helped in uplifting the quality of eye care services provided by ECPs in Nigeria and beyond.
The Journal of the Nigerian Optometric Association (JNOA), published since 1985, is a high-impact professional journal that helps disseminate up-to-date information on eye care and research, to help boost the use of cutting-edge information in eye care delivery. The Journal is currently listed on the African Journal Online (AJOL).
In 2018, the NOA published a book, Optometry in Nigeria: History and Perspectives, a first of its kind chronicling the development of the profession in the country. The Association has earlier in 2017 compiled A Compendium of Optometry in Nigeria.
In 2016, the Association conducted a nationwide Drivers Vision Survey in partnership with the Federal Road Safety Commission. The results generated from the survey are the focal points currently driving the move to review Vision Standards for Driving in Nigeria.
In 2017, the NOA carried out a nationwide pilot vision screening of school children in public primary schools (one in each of the three senatorial zones in ten (10) states) in the federation.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
The NOA has planned, executed and completed numerous CSR projects over the years. During the conferences, the NOA usually execute Community Eye Health programmes in select indigent communities in every host state. An estimated 20,000 persons from numerous communities have benefit from the free eye care services since this programme was initiated in 2007, with no fewer than 10,000 prescription eye glasses distributed to in-need persons. In addition, no fewer than 7,000 persons have gotten prescription drugs for managing various eye ailments, while at least 2,000 persons have been referred for further management of complex eye care cases.
Beyond the immediate benefits highlighted above is the more important access to quality eye care and entry into the main eye care system provided to many of these beneficiaries, so they can manage/maintain proper and regular eye care in order to reduce the incidences of avoidable blindness. Depleting the burgeoning number of visually impaired in Nigeria is quite a task that requires the support and contribution of all in order to reduce the economic burden blindness and visual impairment imposes on the country.
In 2017, the NOA, recognizing the need/value of early detection of vision problems in improving academic performance, and the potential role of teachers in noticing children with poor vision, conducted a standardized training for public primary school teachers in 10 pilot states in Nigeria, in support of effective implementation of the National Child Eye Health policy. 395 teachers benefitted from the project at no cost to them.
In 2018, to mark her 50th anniversary, the Association launched a CSR project targeting to provide free vision care to 40,000 Nigerian children aged 5-14 across the federation using over 150 eye care facilities spread across the country. This project generated a lot of interest and support from the public, including from international organizations. At the end of the Phase 1 of the project, preliminary reports collated from just 13 of the 24 participating states shows that 5007 were screened with 2102 receiving prescription spectacles, drugs and other consumables.
Some outstanding CSR projects over the years:
- Donation of clinical equipment to all Optometry training schools in Nigeria in 2008.
- Award of scholarships to six (6) optometry students in Nigeria in 2009.
- Collaboration with the FRSC to conduct the first ever National Drivers Survey in 2016; Report published. Over 5000 motorists screened for vision impairments in 27 states of Nigeria in 2016; free vision correction and other optical aids provided for over 2000 of them.
- 395 school teachers trained in 10 states to help drive School Eye Health programmes in 2017.
- “My Sight My Right” child eye health initiative targeted at providing quality eye care for 40000 children aged between 5 and 14 at no cost to the beneficiaries in 2018
- Collaboration with the Department of Security Services (DSS) to provide free vision care and optical correction services in Kaduna and Anambra states in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
- Collaboration with the FRSC for Vision Screening and provision of correction aids to commercial drivers during Eid el Malud in 2018.
- Free vision/eye care services and prescription spectacles and drugs provided to indigent communities across at least twelve (12) locations over the last 12 years; 2007 Akwa Ibom, 2008 Kaduna, 2009 Ogun, 2010 Imo, 2011 Abuja, 2012 Lagos, 2013 Abia, 2014, Asaba, 2015 Abuja, 2016 Rivers, 2017 Edo, 2018 Abuja, 2019 Cross River.
- Donation of quality informational materials and quality eye care services provided to media organizations nationwide in 2018
- Quality eye care services provided for inmates and officers of the Nigerian Correctional Services nationwide in 2019