Nigeria’s Speech and Hearing Care Crisis: Experts Urge FG to Expand Rehabilitation Services Nationwide.

Nigeria’s Speech and Hearing Care Crisis: Experts Urge FG to Expand Rehabilitation Services Nationwide.

Health experts in Nigeria have called for wider access to speech, language and hearing healthcare, urging the Federal Government to strengthen early diagnosis, expand specialist services and integrate rehabilitation into primary healthcare delivery.

The experts warned that limited access to qualified professionals, inadequate healthcare facilities, low public awareness and the high cost of treatment continue to prevent many Nigerians, particularly children and people in underserved communities, from receiving timely care.

The concerns were raised at the 2026 Annual National Scientific Conference of the Speech Pathologists and Audiologists Association in Nigeria, where stakeholders highlighted the consequences of delayed diagnosis and inadequate rehabilitation for people experiencing speech, hearing and communication difficulties.

Prof. Oyedunni Sola Arulogun stressed that speech and hearing conditions require early attention, noting that untreated communication difficulties can affect children’s learning, social development, relationships and participation in society.

She advocated the integration of rehabilitation services into primary healthcare centres, schools and community based health programmes to ensure that people can access professional assistance without travelling long distances.

The National President of the association, Dr Simeon O. Afolabi, also called for stronger newborn and school based hearing screening programmes, alongside improved referral systems to ensure that children with suspected hearing or speech difficulties receive appropriate professional assessments.

Afolabi urged parents not to dismiss delayed speech development or children’s failure to respond appropriately to sounds, emphasizing the importance of seeking qualified medical advice.

He further called for increased investment in trained personnel, functional facilities, appropriate equipment and public awareness initiatives to extend specialist services beyond major cities.

The wider concern reflects persistent weaknesses in Nigeria’s rehabilitation sector, where specialist services remain unevenly distributed and many families struggle to access affordable treatment.