Former President Olusegun Obasanjo Shares Personal Experience with Unnoticed Hearing Loss, Sets to Distribute Hearing Aids to 10,000 Nigerians
Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has revealed a shocking personal experience that led him to establish the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation. While paying homage to the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman-Adamu, Mr. Obasanjo shared that he once suffered from 25% hearing loss without realizing it.
Many people worldwide are unaware of their hearing loss until they undergo medical checks, Mr. Obasanjo explained. He recounted an incident where he struggled to hear someone speaking to him while abroad, despite insisting that his ears were fine. However, a medical check revealed that he had a 25% hearing loss. To his surprise, his Chief Security Officer at the time had an even more severe hearing impairment.
This experience led Mr. Obasanjo to create the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, which has provided ear treatment and hearing aids to thousands of Nigerians in partnership with the Starkey Hearing Foundation. The former president is set to inaugurate a new initiative, "Sound Intervention Mission so Nigerians may hear," which aims to distribute hearing aids to approximately 10,000 underprivileged individuals in the North-East region, starting with 2,000 beneficiaries in Bauchi State.
Mr. Obasanjo emphasized the need for collective action to address Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges. The Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman-Adamu, commended Mr. Obasanjo’s commitment to the development and progress of all regions in the country, evident in his presence in the state.