Assessment of Visual Acuity Among Primary School Children in Ibadan, Oyo State

This study assesses the prevalence of visual acuity deficits among primary school children in Ibadan, Oyo State, located in Nigeria's South West geopolitical zone. Poor vision among school-age children is increasingly recognized as a barrier to academic achievement, yet routine eye screening programs remain scarce in many Nigerian public schools. Recent literature underscores the need for early detection of refractive errors and other ocular conditions to prevent long-term disability. A descriptive cross-sectional design will be adopted, involving 400 pupils selected through stratified random sampling from public and private primary schools across three local government areas in Ibadan. Snellen visual acuity charts, cover-uncover tests, and basic external eye examinations will be administered by trained optometrists. Data will be analyzed using SPSS version 25, with results presented as frequencies and percentages. It is anticipated that a significant proportion of children will present with uncorrected refractive errors, amblyopia, or other detectable conditions. Findings will be shared with the Oyo State Ministry of Education to advocate for integrating eye health into school health programs. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on pediatric eye care in sub-Saharan Africa and provides locally grounded evidence to support policy reform in the South West zone. Keywords: visual acuity, primary school children, refractive errors, Ibadan, school eye health