By Onyekachi Victoria Philip
The humanitarian impact of tourism icon, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye’s 60th birthday has continued to emerge, with a report showing that dozens of Ethiopians were beneficiaries of free eye surgeries in Turkey in his honour.
Further report shows that the donation was made by a group of doctors in turkey who presented the Cataract Donation Certificate dedicated to Akinboboye, revealing that 60 Ethiopians were selected to benefit from eye surgery as part of the humanitarian gesture linked to his 60th birthday.
The certificate, titled “Katarakt Bağış Sertifikası,” which translates to “Cataract Donation Certificate,” stated that the beneficiaries included people at risk of losing their sight due to ageing, malnutrition, healthcare challenges, congenital conditions, unsafe water and poor hygiene.
The document expressed appreciation to Akinboboye for supporting vulnerable people, describing him as someone who had become “the eyes of the oppressed.”
It was signed by Kemal Özdal, General President, who conveyed his regards to the tourism icon.
The emergence of the report has now shed more light on the scale of the humanitarian activities associated with Akinboboye’s birthday celebrations, showing that the impact of his super contribution has at different times extended beyond Nigeria.
The eye-surgery intervention in Turkey also adds an international dimension to the birthday tradition for which Akinboboye has continued to encourage friends, associates and well-wishers to redirect gifts meant for him towards people in need.
Recall that Akinboboye had earlier asked Nigerians, friends, family members and associates not to buy him personal birthday gifts, but to donate to orphanages, charitable organisations and homes for the less privileged in his name.
The appeal has become an annual tradition, with the tourism icon repeatedly encouraging people around him to turn birthday goodwill into support for vulnerable members of society.
Ahead of his 68th birthday on August 16, 2026, Akinboboye again renewed the appeal, asking anyone planning to send him a gift to instead donate to a charitable or less-privileged organisation in his name.
He also challenged Nigerians to consider the wider impact of the initiative, asking what could happen if 10 per cent of Nigerians donated ₦20,000 to the needy as part of their birthday celebrations.