Experts have called on the Nigerian government to move beyond awareness campaigns and implement concrete policies to integrate autistic persons into schools, workplaces and public life, warning that stigma and weak institutional support continue to shut them out 16 years after advocacy on the condition began in the country.
The call was made on Monday at the opening of the 16th Annual GTCO Autism Conference in Lagos, where healthcare professionals, educators, caregivers, policymakers and advocates said families continue to bear the emotional and financial burden of autism care largely on their own.
Group Chief Executive Officer of GTCO Plc, Segun Agbaje, said Nigeria had made progress in breaking the silence that once surrounded autism, but stressed that the focus must now shift to action.
“Our journey over the last 16 years was to create awareness because too many families lived in denial. I think we have largely achieved that,” Agbaje said. “The next challenge is learning how to live with people on the spectrum, educating ourselves and making the journey easier for families.”
He described autism support as “a journey without a destination” and said governments, schools, employers and communities all had roles to play. He also pledged that GTCO would sustain the conference beyond his tenure.
Behavioural analyst and advocate Solape Azazi said the country’s biggest challenge was no longer diagnosing autism but ensuring accepted and equal treatment for those living with it. Drawing on her experience raising a 12-year-old autistic son, she said many parents still face rejection, isolation, caregiver burnout and poor mental health due to societal attitudes.
“Acceptance is a behaviour. It is choosing connection over correction,” Azazi said. “If your child doesn’t find acceptance at home, how can the child know what acceptance looks like outside?”
She added that autistic children can succeed academically when schools provide proper support instead of excluding them.
Disability advocate Afeez Abdul Rasaq urged government to go beyond policy statements and implement disability-friendly programmes guaranteeing access to education, employment and public services. He called on employers to actively recruit autistic persons and other people living with disabilities, describing inclusion as a national development priority rather than charity.
“We all have disabilities. The only difference is the severity,” he said.
Participants also pushed for greater investment in early diagnosis, specialised education, caregiver support and mental health services, warning that without stronger institutional backing, families will continue to shoulder the burden alone.
The conference continues today with sessions on inclusive education, caregiver support and strategies for improving quality of life for persons living with autism across Nigeria.
READ ALSO:
- Meet Nathan Thomas, world’s youngest professor at 18
- NAFDAC Seals Two Ogun Factories Over Banned Sachet Alcohol
- Autism advocates demand action as Nigerians with condition remain shut out of schools, jobs
- Court of Appeal reinstates ADC, four other parties, slams judge for “judicial rascality”
- Tinubu tells Catholic bishops: Nigeria stabilised, prosperity ahead
