AUTISM: NIGERIA MUST MOVE BEYOND SILENCE

 There is need for a coordinated national surveillance on Autism

The 2026 World Autism Awareness Day was marked yesterday to demand action, inclusion, and dignity for millions living on the spectrum. In many countries, the conversation has evolved beyond awareness and acceptance and has now moved to action. But in Nigeria, we have remained largely trapped in silence, still far behind awareness, not to mention action. That silence is because we have continued to live in denial about a condition that is present in our homes, schools, and communities – often unrecognised, frequently misunderstood, and overwhelmingly unsupported. According to a recent report, one in every 100 Nigerian children currently live with autism while no fewer than 600,000 children are on the spectrum nationwide. Across all ages, about 2.4 million Nigerians are reportedly affected. Even at that, these figures are, at best conservative.

 For context, ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’ is that health condition that alters brain functioning, especially in how a person communicates, behaves, and relates to others. Those living with the condition may talk later than others or have difficulty understanding jokes, body language, or social cues. They may prefer simple, direct communication or just being alone. For many families, the journey is isolating, and financially draining. The Nigerian system has not been designed to include them. But this is not merely a health gap, it is a structural failure.

 Globally, autism is increasingly approached through a developmental and rights-based lens; recognising that early support, inclusive education, and sustained interventions can significantly improve outcomes. Nigeria, by contrast, risks deepening inequality by inaction. Without urgent reform, children with autism will continue to be excluded from mainstream education, families will shoulder disproportionate economic and emotional burdens, and the nation will forfeit the potential of a significant segment of its population.

The government at both federal and the 36 states should, as a matter of urgency, and in collaboration with stakeholders, establish a coordinated national surveillance system on Autism to harness consistency in diagnosis, management, and inclusiveness. On specifics, Autism should be integrated into primary healthcare for routine developmental checks at immunisation clinics and health centres. The country must also urgently expand training for developmental pediatricians, speech and language therapists, occupational and behavioural specialists, and other areas that directly impact children’s health, communication and developmental abilities. In the interim, task-shifting models like training community health workers to identify early signs, can bridge immediate gaps.

As a nation, we must break the scepter of silence on Autism, which now seems to be orchestrated by the health design that should scale public awareness beyond urban centres. Awareness campaigns must also move past ceremonial observances and become sustained, community-level education efforts that confront stigma and misinformation. Meanwhile, our education system should be all inclusive. There should be teacher training in neuro-developmental disorders, classroom support systems, and individualised learning approaches. These trainings, among other things, should link health, education, and social services – backed by funding, timelines, and accountability mechanisms. This way, people with the spectrum will not feel marginalised, but given a sense of belonging required for inclusion.

To effectively address the silence on autism, families, individuals and the communities must play their part. Children who are observed to be ‘different’ should be presented quickly enough for evaluation and then given special attention as they deserve. But Nigeria must decide whether autism will remain a peripheral issue or become a national priority. Because the reality is clear: Autism is present. The science is available. Over half a million children are at the mercy of our decision as a nation. The cost of delay should not only be measured in the numbers, but in the futures diminished and potential that may be denied due to inaction. And that is a price no nation should be willing to pay.

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Awareness campaigns must move past ceremonial observances and become sustained, community-level education efforts that confront stigma and misinformation