The Cost Reality
Families of children with autism, cerebral palsy, or Down syndrome often spend between ₦50,000 and ₦200,000 or more per month on therapy services — at a time when per capita health spending in Nigeria remains critically low. This financial burden forces families to make impossible choices: reduce therapy frequency, stop entirely, or deprive other family members of resources.
No Public Safety Net
Nigeria's national health insurance scheme does not meaningfully cover disability therapy. State-level interventions are rare and often limited to urban centres. Families in rural or semi-urban areas bear the full cost without any public support mechanism.
The Pricing Problem
Beyond affordability, there is a transparency problem. Therapy prices vary enormously between providers, and families have no reliable way to know whether a higher price reflects better quality or simply market power. Without price benchmarks, informed consumer choice is impossible.
What DICAF Advocates For
DICAF is calling for three connected reforms. First, the inclusion of essential disability therapy services in the National Health Insurance Authority's coverage framework. Second, the development of indicative price bands for common therapy services, published by a credible public body. Third, targeted subsidies or voucher schemes for low-income families that allow them to access verified providers without facing prohibitive costs.
Who Needs to Act
Progress on these reforms requires action from the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Health Insurance Authority, and state governments. It also requires sustained advocacy from civil society organisations like DICAF to keep disability care on the policy agenda.