By Mariam Abeeb
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has inaugurated an expert national committee to develop a framework for establishing international-standard autism centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The initiative aims to expand access to specialized medical care, strengthen local neurodevelopmental research, build professional workforce capacity, and provide long-overdue support for individuals with autism and their families.
Inaugurating the committee in Abuja on Thursday, Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arch. Sonny Echono, charged members to deliver practical, evidence-based recommendations to guide the proposed establishment of the specialized facilities within selected university medical schools.
Echono disclosed that the project is being slated for funding consideration under the proposed 2027 TETFund Special Intervention, subject to the committee’s findings, institutional eligibility, resource availability, and final approvals.
He noted that the initiative builds on TETFund’s ongoing Special High Impact Intervention for medical schools, which focuses on upgrading infrastructure and diagnostic equipment for healthcare training.
“Establishing these facilities across the six geopolitical zones will expand access to specialized autism services, strengthen local expertise, and alleviate the burden on families who currently travel long distances in search of appropriate care,” Echono stated.
He urged the committee to ensure its recommendations include comprehensive needs assessments, technical specifications, realistic cost estimates, and transparent, evidence-based selection criteria based on geographic balance, existing facilities, and long-term institutional commitment.
Responding on behalf of the committee, the Chairperson and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Prof. Ebunoluwa Aderonke Adejuyigbe, described the assignment as a watershed moment for neurodevelopmental care in Nigeria.
Prof. Adejuyigbe, a seasoned paediatrician, lamented that Nigerian families raising children with autism continue to struggle with delayed diagnosis, denial, financial strain, and a severe shortage of specialized professionals.
She outlined five key pillars that will guide the committee’s mandate: Clinical Services & Early Intervention, Research & Innovation,Training & Capacity Building, Community Engagement & Inclusion, Sustainability & Quality Assurance.
“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,” Adejuyigbe said.
The committee is expected to recommend suitable host universities, set minimum operational and design standards, outline realistic implementation schedules, and design a robust monitoring and evaluation framework ahead of the 2027 budget cycle.
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