Diamond Bank’s policy on Corporate Social Responsibility is essentially driven by the imperative to directly and positively touch the lives of its stakeholders, with special emphasis on the indigent section of the society. That way, the resultant impact is maximized for society’s most needy. In this respect, the Bank does not act through third party charity organisations and care givers. Instead we get involved directly. The Annual Diamond Bank/Eye Foundation Free Eye Expedition Programme is a flagship project in this policy thrust.

The first expedition under the programme kicked off in 1999 at Emekuku, near Owerri, Imo State. Over 1,500 people were screened for various eye ailments. Of this number, 500 received free eyeglasses and 22 cataract surgery operations were performed free.

• The scope of this expedition was expanded in 2001, on the occasion of the Bank’s 10th Anniversary, with outings in three locations around the country, namely, Epe in Lagos state, Awo-Omanma in Imo State and Gwagwalada, near Abuja. A total of 110 free cataract surgeries were performed in the course of these three expeditions, apart from the free eye screenings.
• In 2002 a new dimension was introduced in the expedition with the Diamond Bank partnering with the Eye Foundation Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, the World Health Organisation and other agencies in carrying out 1,000 free cataract surgeries. During this exercise, over 2000 persons were screened for various eye ailments, with a total of N5 million expended on surgeries.
• In 2003, the expedition moved to Abakiliki, Ebonyi State, where experts from the Eye Foundation Hospital performed 25 surgical operations.

The Annual free Eye Expedition is a demonstration of Diamond Bank’s frontline role in advancing social causes. The Bank is virtually without rival in this specialized area of healthcare provisioning for charity.