Autism Care: FG sets plan for nationwide centres, expands specialist training

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has announced a major initiative to establish six regional Autism Centres across the country’s six geopolitical zones starting in 2027.

Alausa, who made the announcement during an engagement with stakeholders, said the initiative aims to boost local capacity, reduce the reliance on seeking specialized developmental care abroad, and directly address the severe shortage of specialized professionals.

He said the initiative represents a significant step towards addressing the nation’s shortage of highly skilled professionals in Audiology, Speech and Language Therapy, and Occupational Therapy.

According to him, the move is also aimed at building a skilled workforce to strengthen diagnosis, therapy, rehabilitation and inclusive education for children living with autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and related conditions.

Alausa said the number of Nigerian universities offering specialised programmes in the fields had increased from about four to nearly 16 as part of ongoing reforms by the Federal Government.

He added that the administration was committed to encouraging more institutions to introduce the programmes in order to address the shortage of professionals and improve access to quality care nationwide.

“Our Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, is supporting this by expanding the number of institutions offering programmes in Audiology, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy.

“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,” he said.

The minister expressed concern that many Nigerian families still travel abroad, including to neighbouring countries, to access specialised services for children with autism and ADHD due to limited local capacity.

“Today, many families still have to travel outside Nigeria to access care for their autistic children. This is not acceptable, and the Federal Government is determined to change that,” he said.

To strengthen the programme, Alausa announced that universities offering the specialised courses would receive targeted interventions from next year, including improved infrastructure, modern equipment and instructional materials.

He also directed the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to fast-track the accreditation of the Federal School of Occupational Therapy and the Occupational Therapy diploma programme at the University of Benin.

The minister said the move would create a smoother academic pathway from diploma to degree programmes while enhancing professional development in the sector.

He commended universities that had embraced the specialised courses, describing their efforts as critical to developing the manpower required to improve care for children with developmental conditions.

Alausa further announced that the Federal Government would establish autism centres in each of the six geopolitical zones beginning from 2027.

He said the centres would provide diagnostic and therapeutic services, support research and serve as regional centres of excellence for families, professionals and educational institutions.

“In 2027, we will open Autism Centres across the six geopolitical zones. These centres will focus on diagnosis, therapy and research to better support the needs of our citizens,” he said.

The minister reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to collaborating with universities, regulatory agencies and professional bodies to expand specialist training, strengthen institutional capacity and promote research and innovation in autism care.

He said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to ensure that children living with autism, ADHD and other developmental conditions have access to quality diagnosis, therapy, inclusive education and opportunities to achieve their potential.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖