Parents, educators and disability advocates have called on the Federal Government to urgently fund inclusive schools, expand access to therapy services and strengthen policies protecting children with special needs across the country.
A statement by SENTE on Saturday said the stakeholders made the call at the 2026 Special Educational Needs and Therapy Empowerment Conference and Trade Fair held in Lagos with the theme, “Preparing for Adulthood: Empowering Caregivers and Families.”
The Chair of the SENTE Organising Committee, Dr Mudi Nwachukwu, said inadequate funding and weak implementation of disability-friendly policies remain major obstacles confronting families.
“Funding, funding, funding — I cannot say it enough. We need the money to build institutions where people can get the help they need. Therapy is not cheap, yet many parents are left to source funds on their own,” she said.
Nwachukwu, who runs an educational support service for children with learning challenges, explained that her advocacy journey began after years of interacting with parents who lacked access to guidance and professional support.
“In running the service, I met many parents and realised there was nothing for them in terms of support. They were stigmatised. They had no one to talk to and didn’t know where to get help or resources,” she said.
She decried the uneven distribution of therapy services nationwide, noting that some states lack basic services such as speech therapy.
“I spoke to someone who said there was no speech therapy in their state. Imagine the despair of parents in such places. The work is still heavy; there is so much to be done,” Nwachukwu added.
Beyond funding, she stressed the need for enforceable anti-discrimination laws to protect children and their families.
“There are families that taxis refuse to carry because they have a child with special needs. Policies must make people take notice — if not from the goodness of their hearts, then from the fear of breaking the law,” she said.
Also speaking, the President of the Association of Corporate Treasurers of Nigeria, Mr Yinka Ogunnubi, who is a parent of a child with special needs, said stigma continues to silence many families.
“This issue affects a lot of parents. Because of stigma, many cases are not spoken about. Some children are locked up at home. Some are taken to spiritual centres to ‘cast out demons.’ Some are maltreated,” he said.
Ogunnubi argued that deliberate government intervention is required to strengthen inclusive education nationwide.
“If we can make the government realise that there are many children on the spectrum — not just autism, but Down syndrome, dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions — then we have a strong case for funding inclusive schools,” he said.
“Children should not be sent away from school because there are no teachers to support them. Every school must be inclusive,” he added.
Founder of Cradle Lounge Special Needs Initiative, Mrs Solape Azazi, said conversations must extend beyond early intervention to long-term planning for adulthood.
“An autistic five-year-old will grow up to become an autistic 20-year-old. What preparation have you made for adulthood? What financial plans are in place? What structures will support that child when the parents are no longer there?” she queried.
Azazi warned against relying solely on spiritual solutions at the expense of professional intervention.
“There is a place for prayer, but there is also a place for intervention. When we spiritualise an issue that requires structured support, we do the child a disservice,” she said.
In a session on life skills, Founder of Let Cerebral Palsy Kids Learn Foundation, Ms Tobiloba Ajayi, urged parents not to define children by their diagnoses.
“You stop seeing the child and all you see is the diagnosis — autism, cerebral palsy, ADHD. My parents consistently reminded me that I was not my diagnosis. An explanation is different from an excuse,” she said.
Ajayi encouraged caregivers to build resilience in children.
“Struggle will not kill them. Let them struggle while you are there to provide a safety net. Life does not reward ease,” she added.
A journalist and disability advocate, Chinyere Ogidi, advised parents to pay attention to their children’s strengths and interests.
“Notice their patterns. What do they enjoy? Build on that foundation. When children are supported at home, teachers can build on that and help them thrive,” she said.
The participants agreed that while progress has been recorded in some states, particularly Lagos, a coordinated national response involving funding, policy reform, inclusive education and accessible therapy services is urgently needed to ensure that children with special needs are not only protected but empowered to thrive into adulthood.
Leave a comment