Mirian Gom 
Boluwatife Ayanwole
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigerian autism expert and neurodiversity advocate Boluwatife Ayanwole calls for a major cultural shift in how autism is understood and supported across Africa.
Speaking on Thursday at the International Neurodiversity Conference 2026 webinar in Dubai, Ayanwole urges governments to move beyond stigma and myths towards inclusion, functionality, and empowerment.
“Autism should not be reduced to symptoms alone but understood through neurological, psychological, and environmental factors,” he says.
He calls for publicly funded autism centres across Africa to provide affordable diagnosis, therapy, and skills training, particularly for low-income families.
Ayanwole condemns what he describes as the commercialisation of autism care, insisting that “humanity must come before profit.”
“Parents should be their child’s voice when systems fail,” he says, adding that families remain the first and most critical support system.
He emphasises that society must prioritise empathy, acceptance, and functional independence for neurodiverse individuals, urging policymakers to act decisively.
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Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Koko Maxwella