Nigeria’s response to cerebral palsy stands at a pivotal crossroads. While the world raises awareness and calls for inclusion, Nigeria grapples with significant gaps in understanding, limited access to therapy, and systemic barriers that keep children with CP on the margins.
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Background: The Landscape of CP in Nigeria
Cerebral palsy remains one of the most misunderstood childhood disorders in the country. Prevalence estimates vary widely, but many cases go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed due to low awareness among health workers and families. Therapy services—physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech‑language therapy—are concentrated in urban centres, leaving rural children without basic care. Stigma and discrimination further isolate affected families, and policy frameworks seldom prioritize CP within broader disability agendas.
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What needs to change?
– Awareness & education – training health professionals, teachers, and community leaders to recognise early signs.
– Accessible therapy – expanding community‑based rehab hubs and subsidising private therapy costs.
– Inclusive policies – integrating CP into national disability legislation, school curricula, and employment guidelines.
In this episode of Nigeria Daily, we sit down with a father who’s navigating daily life with his CP‑affected child, and with a leading paediatric neurologist who outlines concrete steps for policy, funding, and societal inclusion. Their stories illuminate the urgent reforms needed to turn World Cerebral Palsy Day from a symbolic moment into a catalyst for real, nationwide change.
