FG AND THE AUTISM CENTRES
The initiative on spectrum disorder is welcome
We commend the initiative by the federal government to transform autism care through expanded specialist training, targeted investments in tertiary institutions, and the establishment of autism centres across the country’s six geopolitical zones. The initiative, according to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, represents a significant step towards addressing the country’s shortage of highly skilled professionals in Audiology, Speech and Language Therapy, and Occupational Therapy, while also revealing that the number of universities offering the specialised programmes has increased.
According to a recent report, one in every 100 Nigerian children currently live with autism while no fewer than 600,000 children are on the spectrum nationwide. Across all ages, about 2.4 million Nigerians are reportedly affected by the health condition that alters brain functioning, especially in how a person communicates, behaves, and relates to others. Even at that, these figures are, at best conservative. Those living with the condition may talk later than others or have difficulty understanding jokes, body language, or social cues. They may prefer simple, direct communication or just being alone. For many families, the journey is isolating and financially draining. The Nigerian system has not been designed to include them. But this is not merely a health gap, it is a structural failure.
Speaking during an engagement with stakeholders last week, Alausa said investment was ongoing in the human capital needed to strengthen diagnosis, therapy, and rehabilitation services while ensuring that Nigerian families can increasingly access quality care within the country. “We have moved from about four universities to almost 16 universities, but we want even more institutions to train the manpower needed to support these essential services,” said Alausa. He admitted that many Nigerian families still travel abroad and even to neighbouring countries in search of specialised care for children with autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), because of limited local capacity. “This is not acceptable, and the federal government is determined to change that,” he said.
Globally, autism is increasingly approached through a developmental and rights-based lens; recognising that early support, inclusive education, and sustained interventions can significantly improve outcomes. But for decades, children with autism have been excluded from mainstream education, leaving many families to shoulder disproportionate economic and emotional burdens. Now that the federal government is intervening, we hope that authorities in the 36 states will be encouraged to follow. Autism should be integrated into primary healthcare for routine developmental checks at immunisation clinics and health centres.
As a nation, we must break the scepter of silence on Autism, which now seems to be orchestrated by the health design that should scale public awareness beyond urban centres. Awareness campaigns must also move past ceremonial observances and become sustained, community-level education efforts that confront stigma and misinformation. There should be teacher training in neurodevelopmental disorders, classroom support systems, and individualised learning approaches. These trainings, among other things, should link health, education, and social services – backed by funding, timelines, and accountability mechanisms. This way, people with the spectrum will not feel marginalised, but given a sense of belonging required for inclusion.
To effectively address the silence on autism, families, individuals and the communities must play their part. Children who are observed to be ‘different’ should be presented quickly enough for evaluation and then given special attention as they deserve. But Nigeria must decide whether autism will remain a peripheral issue or become a national priority. Because the reality is clear: Autism is present. The science is available. The cost of delay should not only be measured in the numbers, but in the futures diminished and potentialities that may be denied due to inaction. And that is a price no nation should be willing to pay.