Abuja, Nigeria
OPTOGLOBE, The Global Optometry Student Community, presented its Equipping the Future (ETF) initiative at the 49th Annual Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Optometric Association in Abuja, Nigeria. The conference ran alongside the African Council of Optometry Annual General Meeting. Ekeleni Amos, Programs and Logistics Lead on the ETF Core Committee, presented the poster to a continental audience of optometry professionals and stakeholders.
The Evidence Base
The poster drew on the ETF Global Needs Assessment. This survey reached 358 optometry students across 13 countries and asked about their access to diagnostic instruments. In Abuja, OPTOGLOBE shared these findings:
- 69% of respondents own no personal diagnostic equipment
- 59% report that their school provides no instruments
- 87% are unaware of any grant scheme that could help close this gap
- 96% support the creation of one
- The retinoscope is the single most-requested item
These figures confirm a pattern the assessment has tracked throughout: most students in training lack the basic diagnostic tools their profession depends on. This gap shapes the quality of clinical education long before students reach independent practice..
A Continental Platform
The African Council of Optometry Annual General Meeting brought together national optometric associations, educators, and students from across the continent. Alongside it, the Nigerian Optometric Association ran a Research Day. The African Federation of Optometry Students and the Nigerian Optometric Students Association organised this programme, with support from Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity International and CEPHII. By presenting the ETF poster in this setting, OPTOGLOBE placed instrument access within the broader research agenda shaping optometric education across Africa.
Why It Matters
ETF exists to close the gap between what optometry training requires and what students can actually access. Cost withholds instruments from students, and this withholds skills they need to practice. In turn, future patients may wait longer for an accurate diagnosis. Physical instrument distribution under the initiative launches soon.
Meanwhile, OPTOGLOBE continues to take this evidence directly to the conferences and communities where it can drive change.
The evidence base continues to grow. The live ETF survey data is available at optoglobe.org/etf-live-tracker.
The ETF project is supported by Optometry Giving Sight
