FUK VC pledges support for Autism Centre in Northeast
By Hajara Usman
The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Kashere (FUK), Prof. Muhammad Inuwa Ja’afaru, has pledged the university management’s full support towards the establishment of the North-East Regional Office of the Autism Assessment and Intervention Centre, assuring that the necessary facilities and requirements would be provided for its successful take-off.
Prof. Ja’afaru gave the assurance during a one-day advisory visit by the National Committee for the Advancement of Occupational Therapy, Audiology and Speech Therapy Education (NCAOTASTE) to the university.
He disclosed that the university had written to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), seeking special intervention for the construction of a complex to accommodate the proposed programmes and other shared facilities.
The Vice-Chancellor commended the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, for inaugurating the committee to promote specialised fields of medical sciences, describing the initiative as a welcome development.
He also expressed concern over the japa syndrome, particularly in the health sector, and called on relevant stakeholders to take urgent steps to address the situation.
Earlier, the Chairperson of NCAOTASTE, Dr. Victoria Anu, called for strengthened professional programmes and improved facilities to enhance autism care in Nigeria.
Dr. Anu explained that the committee was inaugurated by the Minister of Education to assess available infrastructure and facilities and provide expert advice to relevant authorities.
She identified occupational therapy, speech therapy and audiology as the three core professional programmes essential for effective autism care.
Also speaking, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Santaya Kela, assured the committee of the university management’s cooperation and commended staff members for their contributions towards the success of the programme.
Earlier, the Provost of the Jibril Aminu College of Medical Sciences (JACOMS), Prof. Abubakar Muhammad Bakari, presented an overview of the college’s development and expressed its readiness to host the Regional Office of the Autism Centre.
He noted that the college had the necessary facilities and had commenced its Occupational Therapy programme ahead of many other universities in the country.
