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Healthcare professionals, policymakers and autism advocates have hailed The Alternative Bank (AltBank) for spearheading efforts to improve autism care in Nigeria through early intervention, inclusion and stronger support systems for parents and caregivers.
The commendation came at the bank’s maiden Autism Stakeholders Roundtable and Policy Dialogue held in Lagos on Friday.
Organised in partnership with the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN), Eliakim Foundation and Sterling One Foundation, the event, themed “It is How You Show Up,” brought together key stakeholders to address gaps in Nigeria’s autism support framework.
President of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Lagos State Branch, Dr. Ime Okon, described the initiative as a timely and strategic intervention capable of driving national action.
She praised AltBank for convening what she called an intentionally designed high-level platform focused on long-overdue reforms in autism care.
“We recognise caregivers and families as central to the success of any intervention. We are showing up, holding their hands, to ensure they are never left to navigate this journey alone,” Okon said.
She added: “For a physician, showing up means ensuring that a parent’s first concern is met with a strengthened, inclusive system rather than a clinical dead-end with no solution. The Alternative Bank has signaled a shift toward a high-level platform for national action.”
Keynote speaker and Founder of Patrick Speech and Languages Centre (PSLC), Mrs. Dotun Akande, called for the integration of universal developmental screening into Nigeria’s primary healthcare system. She said the country must move away from fragmented private-led responses toward a coordinated national framework.
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“What Nigeria must now build is a system where intervention happens early, equitably, and at scale, without depending on chance, geography, or privilege,” Akande said.
She also stressed the need for caregiver support programmes that address the financial and emotional pressures faced by families raising children on the autism spectrum.
Executive Director, Commercial and Institutional Banking (Lagos and Southwest) at The Alternative Bank, Korede Demola-Adeniyi, said the bank was committed to practical interventions that would deliver measurable impact. She noted that showing up in Nigeria has “too often meant showing up late,” adding that the bank’s strategy would focus on three pillars: inclusive education, specialised training for caregivers and healthcare professionals, and behavioural change advocacy.
As part of immediate action, she announced the launch of a specialised capacity-building programme on Receptive Language Disorder in collaboration with Eliakim Global Resources, which commenced on April 26, 2026.
“Early recognition and sustained support depend on a workforce and caregivers who know what to look for, and what to do next,” she said.
The roundtable also featured robust discussions on designing and funding sustainable autism support programmes.
Participants included medical experts, civil society leaders, lawmakers and development partners.
Following the dialogue, AltBank and its partners said they would submit a policy brief to relevant ministries, proposing vocational pathways, autism care financing options, and a 12-month Lagos pilot programme across selected schools and primary healthcare centres.
