Koko Maxwella 
IBADAN, Nigeria – The Speech Pathologists and Audiologists Association of Nigeria (SPAAN) has sounded alarm over a sharp rise in hearing disorders, revealing that over eight million Nigerians now live with hearing impairments.
At the 2025 SPAAN Annual Conference held at the University of Ibadan, Prof. Julius Ademokoya urged the Federal Government to declare hearing loss a public health emergency.
“Six in every 1,000 Nigerian children are born with congenital hearing loss,” Ademokoya said. “Many adults develop it later from accidents, infections, or drug misuse.”
He warned that cultural myths worsen the problem.
“In our country, we think a quiet child will start talking later. That belief is wrong,” he said. “Delays in diagnosis cause lifelong damage.”
Special Adviser on Social Inclusion to the Ekiti State Governor, Mrs. Adetoun Agboola, urged parents to prioritise medical evaluation:
“No child should be hidden because of disability,” she said.
Registrar of the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board, Prof. Rufai Ahmad, called for joint action. “Government, professionals, and families must collaborate to stop preventable hearing loss,” he said.
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Oluwatobi Adu 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
