• Announces six regional centres
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The federal government has unveiled a major initiative to transform autism care in Nigeria through expanded specialist training, targeted investments in tertiary institutions, and the establishment of autism centres across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the initiative represented a significant step towards addressing the country’s shortage of highly skilled professionals in Audiology, Speech and Language Therapy, and Occupational Therapy, revealing the number of universities offering the specialised programmes has increased.
He added that the administration was committed to expanding the programmes to more institutions to meet the growing demand for services for children living with autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and other developmental conditions.
Speaking during an engagement with stakeholders, the minister 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.
He stated, “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 sixteen universities, but we want even more institutions to train the manpower needed to support these essential services.”
The minister observed that many Nigerian families still travelled abroad and even to neighbouring countries in search of specialised care for children with autism and ADHD because of limited local capacity, describing the situation as unacceptable.
He said, “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.”
To accelerate the reforms, the minister announced that beginning next year, the federal government will provide targeted interventions to universities offering the specialised programmes.
The support will include the expansion of infrastructure, provision of modern equipmentm and instructional materials to significantly increase institutions’ capacity to train professionals in Audiology, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy.
The minister also disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education had 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, creating a seamless academic progression from diploma to bachelor’s degree while strengthening professional career pathways.
The minister commended universities that had embraced the federal government’s policy direction by introducing specialised programmes, describing their efforts as critical to building the workforce required to improve outcomes for children with developmental conditions.
Looking ahead, the minister announced that beginning in 2027, the federal government will establish autism centres in each of the six geopolitical zones, and the centres will provide comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic services, promote research and serve as regional centres of excellence, supporting families, healthcare professionals and educational institutions.
He stated, “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.”