The Federal Government is set to establish autism centres in the six geopolitical zones in 2027 to strengthen autism care and expand specialist training nationwide.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, disclosed this during an engagement with stakeholders in Abuja.
A statement by Ikharo Attah, Special Adviser on Media and Communication to Alausa, quoted the minister as saying that the centres would provide diagnostic, therapy and research services while supporting families, healthcare professionals and educational institutions.
He said the initiative formed part of the Federal Government’s efforts to address the shortage of professionals in audiology, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy.
According to him, the number of universities offering the specialised programmes has increased from four to about 16 under the ongoing reforms.
“The 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 four universities to about 16 universities, but we want even more institutions to train the manpower needed to support these essential services,” he said.
The minister said the Government would begin targeted interventions in 2027 to strengthen universities offering the specialised programmes.
He said the interventions would include expanding infrastructure and providing modern equipment and instructional materials to increase training capacity.
Alausa said many Nigerian families still travelled outside the country to seek specialised care for children with autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (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.
The minister also said 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.
He said the move would create a seamless academic pathway from diploma to bachelor’s degree and strengthen professional career development.
