By Joseph Erunke, Abuja
The Federal Government has announced plans to establish autism centres across the six geopolitical zones as part of efforts to improve care for children with developmental conditions and reduce dependence on medical treatment abroad.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement, saying the initiative would be complemented by an expansion of specialist training programmes in Audiology, Speech and Language Therapy, and Occupational Therapy.
According to him, the move is 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.
