The Registrar of the Nigeria College of Optometrists, Prof. Uche Ikonne has said that the college was established because it wanted to encourage the opticians to bring professionalism into their practice. 

 

He stated this recently in Owerri, during the college annual conference and lectures with the theme: 'Advancing professionalism through Clinical Research.' 

 

"The fellowship has astronomically lifted the optometrists in Nigeria from. the basal status of a men clinician in the public health institutions to a consultant status and from a staqnated classroom teacher to the apex rank of a tertiary institution administrator," Ikonne said. 

 

He said that the college had seven faculties, Primary Care Optometry, Cornea and Contact Lens Practice, Low Vision and Rehabilitative Optometry, Ocular Health Public Health Optometry, Orthoptics Paediatric Optometry and that the college derived it legal status from the Optometrist and Dispensing Opticians 

 

'Registration Board of Nigeria, adding that the 11 foundation fellows graduated in 200e and later the second set of the college graduated four years later when the college was inaugurated on September7, 2008. 

 

 

On the history of the college, Ikonne said, " it is the Nigeria College of Optometrists which was conceived towards the end of last millennium through the inspirational advice and directives of Prof. F.C. Akpuaka, the then provost, College of Medicine and Health Science, Health Sciences, Abia State University, adding that "The fellowship has astronomically lifted the optometrists in Nigeria from the basal status of a mere clinician in the public health institutions to a consultant status and from a stagnated classroom teacher to the apex rank of a tertiary institution adminitrator"

 

'Akpuaka was concemea aoout the growth of the profession and staff of the Department of Optometry in Abia State University and drew inference from tne inception of the specialist (fellowship) training in the established sister professions." 

 

In conclusion, he said that In me event 12 graduands of the college will be convoking and would be deployed to the various faculties of the college. 

 

By Chinonso Alozie 

Vanguard