Autism and the Right to Health in Africa: Evaluating Nigeria’s Compliance with International and Regional Standards

Abstract

The health care services for autistic persons in Nigeria are in deplorable condition. This article examines the intersection between autism, disability rights, and the right to health within the African context, with a specific focus on Nigeria’s compliance with international and regional standards. Using the doctrinal and theoretical approach, it analyses legal frameworks such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and regional instruments including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC). The article argues that although Nigeria has made legislative progress through the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, the Child’s Rights Act 2003, and the National Health Act 2014, the country still lags in practical implementation. Systemic barriers such as stigma, lack of data, poor funding, and weak institutional coordination undermine compliance. It concludes that the Nigerian government must adopt a human rights–based approach to health, anchored on inclusivity and non-discrimination, to ensure autistic persons enjoy equitable access to health services as guaranteed under international and regional law.