The Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, on Thursday, launched the distribution of 1,000 free hearing aids to persons with hearing impairment in the South-East.

The event was organised by the foundation in partnership with the Abia Government and Starkey Hearing Foundation, with the theme “So Nigerians May Hear”.

In a speech at the event in Umuahia, tagged: “2025 Sound Intervention Hearing Mission”, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, described hearing aid as a small and discreet remedy with the capacity to make a world of difference in one’s life.

Obasanjo, who founded the organisation, said it focuses on youth employment, education, and health, particularly addressing health challenges, such as hearing loss.

He described hearing loss as a  condition that many people may not even realise they had and emphasised the need for medical examination to ascertain one’s hearing health.

He recounted sitting close to a gentleman during a Clinton Foundation Programme, who conducted a hearing test on him, which enabled him to discover that he was 25 per cent deaf.

Obasanjo said that moment served as a powerful reminder of how unaware one could be of their  hearing health.

According to him, that one clear sign of hearing loss is when one finds himself turning up the volume on their television set louder than normal.

He urged the State Government to train local personnel who can conduct hearing tests, handle maintenance and repairs, and provide or upgrade of hearing equipment as needed.

He said that hearing aids required proper care and regular assessment, because hearing loss can progress over time.

Obasanjo emphasised that “hearing loss is not a stigma”, but what matters most remains recognising it, managing it, and living a better quality of life.

He said that a large number of people suffer from hearing impairment and his organisation’s mission addressing the health challenge could be described as “a drop of water in the ocean”.

The former president acknowledged all the support his organisation had received in Abia and other states across the country and from “Starkey, the same man who first diagnosed me”.

In an address, Gov. Alex Otti of Abia described Obasanjo’s mission as a “life-changing intervention” that would bring much-needed relief to beneficiaries, pre-selected from various states and communities in the region.

Otti said that the beneficiaries were carefully screened and selected based on expert assessments and predefined conditions to ensure the hearing aids and support systems got to those most in need.

He affirmed his administration’s dedication to inclusive healthcare and called on other stakeholders to support interventions that improve the lives of vulnerable populations.

In a remark, the Coordinator of the Foundation, Dr Olalekan Makinde, said that the vision driving the mission focuses on service to God and humanity.

Makinde expressed delight that many people had benefitted from the initiative and would have their hearing capabilities improved through the assistance offered by the foundation.

“We thank everyone who has supported and helped us in one way or the other to deliver our mandate to the people through this initiative,” he said.

Also, a medical expert, Prof. Basil Ezeanolue, said that there was need for public orientation towards hearing loss and its prevention.

Ezeanolue said that human hearing thresholds are always under constant threat at all ages of existence and that “most causes of hearing loss are preventable”.

“It is important that we always preserve and conserve our hearing health from cradle to grave,” he said.

Earlier, a beneficiary, Miss Okechukwu Ugwu, said that she was diagnosed with partial hearing loss and was planning to go back to the hospital when she was told about the mission.

Ugwu said that she travelled from Enugu to Abia for the mission and was given hearing aids which help her to hear very well.

She thanked the organisation for  assisting her to enjoy an improved quality of life. (NAN