Nigeria, May 2 -- The NNPC Foundation has launched a free cataract screening and surgery programme targeting 1,000 beneficiaries in Zaria, Kaduna State.

The scheme is part of a nationwide initiative to tackle avoidable blindness, the Managing Director of the NNPC Foundation, Emmanuella Arukwe, said during the flag off ceremony held on Friday at the Gambo Sawaba General Hospital, Zaria.

Mr Arukwe said the programme is part of a broader outreach spanning Nigeria's six geo-political zones.

According to the official, the initiative aims to provide over 6,000 cataract surgeries across the country.

"We are excited by the turnout and how smoothly the programme is progressing here in Zaria," Mr Arukwe said. "Cataract is one of the leading cau...