The Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, is seeking to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for autism research and specialised care through the proposed establishment of international-standard centres in university medical schools across the six geopolitical zones.
The initiative is expected to address gaps in early diagnosis, specialised treatment and professional training while generating locally relevant research to improve understanding of autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions.
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arch. Sonny Echono, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the inauguration of a national committee tasked with developing a framework for the proposed centres.
Echono said the initiative would build on the gains of the fund’s Special High Impact Intervention for medical schools, which is upgrading infrastructure and equipment for training professionals in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry and related disciplines.
He explained that the proposed facilities would combine clinical services with research, rehabilitation, professional training and public awareness, while providing support for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families.
According to him, establishing the centres across the six geopolitical zones would improve access to specialised services and reduce the financial and emotional burden on families who travel long distances in search of appropriate care.
The Executive Secretary said the centres were being considered for support under the proposed 2027 TETFund Special Intervention, subject to the committee’s recommendations, the identification of eligible institutions, resource availability and necessary approvals.
He urged the committee to ensure that its recommendations were based on comprehensive needs assessments, realistic cost estimates, measurable deliverables and credible sustainability plans.
Echono also emphasised the need for transparent criteria in selecting host institutions, including geographical spread, existing medical facilities, human resource capacity, institutional commitment and the ability to sustain operations.
Responding, the committee’s chairperson and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Professor Ebunoluwa Aderonke Adejuyigbe, said the initiative presented an opportunity to build a coordinated system of autism care, research and community support.
Adejuyigbe, a paediatrician, observed that many Nigerian families raising children with autism continued to experience delayed diagnosis because of denial, limited access to specialised services, financial constraints and inadequate professional support.
She said the committee would focus on five pillars: clinical services and early intervention; research and innovation; training and capacity building; community engagement and inclusion; and sustainability and quality assurance.
The chairperson stressed that the centres should not be limited to clinical services but should also generate research, strengthen professional expertise and promote a better understanding of autism within Nigerian and African contexts.
She identified research into autism prevalence and factors influencing neurodevelopment as critical to generating evidence that could inform public policy, improve clinical practice and contribute to global scientific knowledge.
Adejuyigbe also called for the development of a multidisciplinary workforce comprising paediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, special educators and other relevant professionals.
She said collaboration with primary healthcare facilities, schools, teachers, community health workers, religious and traditional leaders, parents’ associations and autistic individuals would be essential to promoting early identification, appropriate referrals and the reduction of stigma.
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.
Adejuyigbe cautioned that the success of the initiative should be measured by its impact on individuals and families, rather than simply the number of facilities established.
The proposed centres are expected to strengthen Nigeria’s specialised autism care capacity while advancing research, professional training and more inclusive support systems for individuals on the autism spectrum.
