The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has inaugurated a national committee to develop a framework for establishing autism centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to improve access to specialised care, research and support for autistic people and their families.
TETFund Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, inaugurated the committee in Abuja, tasking members with developing practical, evidence-based and sustainable recommendations for establishing the centres in selected university medical schools.
Echono said the initiative would build on the Special High Impact Intervention for medical schools, which is upgrading infrastructure and equipment for training professionals in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry and related fields.
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He explained that the proposed centres would provide early diagnosis, developmental assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, research and professional training, while promoting public awareness and supporting families and carers.
According to him, establishing the centres across the six geopolitical zones would improve access to specialised autism services, strengthen local expertise and reduce the burden on families who travel long distances to seek appropriate care.
Echono said the centres were being considered for support under the proposed 2027 TETFund Special Intervention, subject to the committee’s findings, the identification of eligible institutions, available resources and necessary approvals.
He urged members to base their recommendations on comprehensive needs assessments, realistic cost estimates, appropriate technical specifications, measurable deliverables and credible sustainability plans.
He also stressed the need for transparent criteria in selecting host institutions, including geographical spread, existing medical and academic facilities, workforce capacity, institutional commitment and the ability to sustain the centres.
The Executive Secretary urged the committee to expedite its work, particularly the identification of suitable institutions and assessment of their needs, to enable the proposed projects to be considered in the 2027 intervention budget.
Significant Step
Responding, the committee’s chairperson and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Professor Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, described the assignment as a significant step towards building an accessible and sustainable system of autism care, research and community support.
Adejuyigbe, a paediatrician, said many Nigerian families raising children with autism faced delayed diagnosis because of denial, limited access to specialised services, financial constraints and inadequate professional support.
She identified five key areas for the committee’s work: clinical services and early intervention; research and innovation; training and capacity building; community engagement and inclusion; and sustainability and quality assurance.
She said the centres should go beyond clinical services to generate locally relevant research, strengthen professional capacity and improve understanding of autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions in Nigeria and Africa.
Adejuyigbe stated that research into autism prevalence and factors influencing neurodevelopment in Nigeria would help generate evidence to inform public policy, improve clinical practice and contribute to global scientific knowledge.
She also called for a multidisciplinary workforce comprising paediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, special educators and other relevant professionals.
Community Engagement
On community engagement, she stressed the importance of collaboration with primary healthcare facilities, schools, teachers, community health workers, religious and traditional leaders, parents’ associations, autistic people and their families to promote early identification, referrals, carer support and reduced stigma.
She warned against establishing centres without clear plans for long-term operation, insisting that sustainability, governance, financing, equipment maintenance, monitoring and evaluation must be included in the recommendations.
“Our success must not be measured merely by the number of centres established, but by the number of individuals and families whose lives are positively transformed, the communities reached, and the knowledge generated to improve autism care in Nigeria and across Africa,” she said.
The committee is expected to recommend suitable host universities and medical schools, establish minimum standards for the centres, develop implementation schedules and cost estimates, and propose a monitoring and evaluation framework.
The initiative is expected to strengthen specialised autism care, research, professional training, public awareness and inclusive support systems for autistic people.
