Federal Government to set up autism centres in six geopolitical zones in 2027 to boost autism care, expand specialist training nationwide.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, during an engagement with interested parties in Abuja.
The Special Adviser on Media and Communication to Alausa, Ikharo Attah, quoted the minister as saying that the centres would offer diagnostic, therapy and research services and also support families, healthcare professionals and educational institutions.
He said the initiative was part of the Federal Government’s efforts to address the shortage of professionals in audiology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy.
The ongoing reforms have increased the number of universities offering the specialised programmes from four to about 16, he said.
“The Federal Government is supporting this through the Ministry of Education by increasing the number of institutions that offer programmes in audiology, speech therapy and occupational therapy.”
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“We have gone from four universities to about 16 universities but we want more institutions to train the manpower to support these essential services,” he said.
The minister said targeted measures to strengthen specialised programme-offering universities would kick start in 2027.
He said the interventions would include expanding infrastructure and providing modern equipment and instructional materials to improve training capacity.
Many Nigerian families still go abroad for specialised care for their children with autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) because of the limited capacity here, Alausa said.
“Many families are still going outside Nigeria for care for their autistic children even today. “That is unacceptable and the Federal Government is committed to changing that,” he said.
The minister also stated that the Federal Ministry of Education had directed the National Board for Technical Education to fast-track the accreditation of the Federal School of Occupational Therapy and the Occupational Therapy diploma programme at the University of Benin.
The move would create a smooth academic transition from diploma to bachelor’s degree and enhance professional development, he said.
