FG To Establish Six Regional Autism Centres from 2027 – Alausa

The Federal Government has announced plans to establish six regional Autism Centres from 2027 as part of a broader strategy to improve autism care and address the shortage of specialists in Nigeria.

Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, unveiled the initiative during a stakeholders’ engagement on Wednesday, saying the government was expanding specialist training in audiology, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy to improve diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation services for children with autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other developmental conditions.

Alausa said the number of universities offering the specialised programmes had increased from about four to nearly 16 under the Federal Government’s reforms, with plans to expand the programmes to more institutions.

“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,” he said.

The minister said many Nigerian families still travel abroad or to neighbouring countries to seek specialised care for children with autism because of 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 added.

To strengthen the specialist workforce, Alausa said the government would begin providing targeted support next year to universities offering the programmes. The intervention will include expanded infrastructure, modern equipment and teaching materials to boost training capacity.

He 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 pathway from diploma to bachelor’s degree.

The minister announced that the six Autism Centres, to be established across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones from 2027, would provide diagnostic and therapeutic services, support research and serve as regional centres of excellence for families, healthcare 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.

Alausa said the reforms align with the Tinubu administration’s efforts to strengthen specialist healthcare training and improve access to quality diagnosis, therapy and inclusive education for children with developmental conditions.