AIM: This study was designed to determine the causes of blindness and severe visual impairment in the blind section of the special education school Tudun Maliki Kano State and to identify treatable causes of blindness in the study population. METHODOLOGY: Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethical committee of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital prior to carrying out this study. A total of One hundred and twenty-two participants of the blind section of the special education school, Tudun Maliki Kano were interviewed and examined with the aid of the World Health Organisation/Programme for Prevention of Blindness (WHO/PBL) eye examination form for children. The data obtained with the study instrument was collated and analysed with SPSS (statistical package for the social sciences) version 16.0.1. RESULTS: Of 128 participants planned, 4 participants who got blind after 15years of age were excluded and 2 were absent. Of a total of 122 participants included,105 ( 86.1%) were blind, 14 ( 11.5%) had severe visual impairment and only 3 ( 2.5%) had moderate visual impairment. There were 98 males and 24 females (M:F=4:1). Their age ranged from 6-29 years. Mean age was 17.20+_ SD 4.81. The cornea ranked highest amongst the anatomical sites of visual loss accounting for 41.0%, followed by lens (18.0%), whole globe (16.4%), retina (11.5%), optic nerve (11.5%) and uvea (1.64%). Based on aetiological classification, childhood factors accounted for 41.0% constituting the major cause of blindness. Unknown causes 30.7%, hereditary 14.75%, intrauterine 12.3% and perinatal 1.64%. The most common diagnosis was post-measles complications (34.4%) followed by cataract (18.0 %). In 70.3% of the pupils, blindness was considered avoidable. Thirty-nine participants had potentially treatable causes of 1 blindness out of whom those considered to have a better chance of visual recovery were 32 cases ( 26.2%) who may benefit from surgery/optical correction/low vision aids.They include uncomplicated cataract-12 cases, 6 for optical correction(aphakia-1,bilateral pseudophakia 1,bilateral opaque subluxed lens-1, RP-2, glaucoma-1) and low vision-14 (comprising of some cases of retinitis pigmentosa and post-trabeculectomy glaucoma cases).