Prof. (Mrs.) Ebele Bridget Uzodike was appointed Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Registration Board of Nigeria (ODORBN) in June 2015. Prof. (Mrs.) Ebele Bridget Uzodike is a professor of Optometry with over thirty years teaching experience. She is the third substantive Registrar of the Board.

As the Registrar/CEO of the ODORBN, her schedule of duty is to see to the day to day running of the ODORBN and to ensure execution of policies of the Governing Board. She works with a management team of Directors and Heads of Department. She has close to two hundred (200) personnel who work with her to deliver on the mandate of the ODORBN.

In determining the standards of knowledge and skill to attained by persons seeking to become Optometrists or Opticians, we have continued to work with the National Universities Commission as well as the National Board for Technical Education in reviewing the curriculum for Optometry and Dispensing Opticianry training respectively. Her experience as an academician has been leveraged on to produce robust curriculum for the two professions. We have also been engaged in accreditation and reaccreditation visits to Institutions of training for the two professions.

A few of our achievements could be outlined as follows:

• As the Registrar/CEO of the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Registration Board of Nigeria (ODORBN), we were able to move the administrative headquarters of the Agency from Lagos to Abuja (the Federal Capital Territory) within one year of assumption of duty, this ensured closeness of the Agency to the Seat of power (Federal Government of Nigeria) and thus receiving prompt attention from the Government which has enlarged and increased the operational activities of the Agency. This has in no small way helped in the recognition, acceptance and awareness of the professions of Optometry and Dispensing Opticianry by the Government, Policy makers, stakeholders and also the Nigerian Populace in general.
• For effective Regulation of the professions of Optometry and Dispensing Opticianry as well as closeness to the Practitioners, we had to open up liaison/Zonal offices in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. This also happened under her leadership as Registrar/CEO.
• Before her administration, the professions of Optometry and Dispensing Opticianry in Nigeria were ravaged by quacks who were not properly and adequately trained, some hadn’t even gotten any formal training but learnt through apprenticeship. These quacks took over the eye care industry in Nigeria thereby endangering the eyes of the average and poor Nigerians who were their major clients. Within her first two years in office, we have been able to bring sanity to the eye care industry in Nigeria. So many quacks were arrested and prosecuted during our National Task Force and Raid on quackery across the country. Many others who loved to go back to school were encouraged to do so as Special Training Programmes were organized for them and they were duly inducted into the profession, thereby making them qualified and certified to practice. Today, quackery in the professions of Optometry and Dispensing Opticianry in Nigeria has been reduced to the barest minimum if not entirely eradicated.
• As the Registrar of the ODORBN, we were able to Liaise with the Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC) and the Nigeria College of Optometrists (NCO) to develop curriculum for combined MSc/Phd/Fellowship Programme. This programme has since taken off in two Universities in the country and we hope the number increases with time.
• The quality of training of intending professionals has been greatly improved as we ensured improved manpower in the training institutions and also availability of modern equipment for the training. More Institutions are now willing to offer the Optometry and Dispensing Opticianry programmes. Within her tenure as Registrar, we have witnessed an unprecedented and tremendous growth as we have recorded over one hundred percent (100%) increase in the number of training Institutions for Optometry and Dispensing Opticianry programmes. As Registrar/CEO, we have ensured regular accreditation and reaccreditation of training Institutions for the professions of Optometry and Dispensing Opticianry. Also, to ensure standardization of training, we have instituted Board Licensure Examinations for Optometry and Dispensing Opticianry graduates and this has ensured standardization of training and production of highly competent workforce in the eye care industry in Nigeria.
• As Registrar of the ODORBN, Regular town hall meetings are now being held between the Governing Board and the Practitioners in the different zones in Nigeria. These meetings will help the Governing Board of the ODORBN get to know the challenges the average Optometrists are facing thereby proffering effective and efficient solutions.

Much as we have challenges of funding as Government revenue has drastically reduced lately, necessitating huge cut down on allocation of resources to our Agency, we have continued to prioritize resources to achieve the much we have done so far. Today we are building a multi-million Naira Administrative Head Office for the ODORBN which is planned to be one of its kind in Africa.