Angelina Ikeako has called on the Federal Government and education stakeholders to make inclusive education a practical national priority, stressing that children with learning differences must not be left behind in Nigerian classrooms.
Ikeako, who serves as the Executive Director of Golden Links Educational Consultants in the United Kingdom and a Senior Fellow of the International Forum of Inclusion Practitioners, stated that despite increasing conversations around inclusive education and neurodiversity, many Nigerian children still lack the support needed to thrive academically and socially.
Speaking in a statement titled “Inclusive Education Must Move Beyond Conversation in Nigeria,” she explained that inclusive education goes beyond merely admitting children with special needs into mainstream schools.
According to her, true inclusion involves creating learning environments where both neurotypical and neurodiverse learners can succeed without discrimination, isolation, or neglect.
“Inclusive education is often misunderstood as simply admitting children with special needs into mainstream schools. In reality, inclusion is far more comprehensive. It is a learning system deliberately designed to support both neurotypical and neurodiverse learners within the same educational environment,” Ikeako said.
She further noted that many classrooms in Nigeria still rely on rigid teaching and assessment methods that fail to accommodate learners who process information differently. She explained that children living with conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia are frequently misunderstood and wrongly labelled as slow or difficult instead of being adequately supported.
Ikeako also highlighted the challenges teachers face, noting that many educators have not received sufficient training in neurodiversity and inclusive teaching practices. She warned that this gap continues to affect meaningful learning outcomes for many children across the country.
The education advocate stressed that repeated exclusion in learning environments can damage children’s confidence and prevent them from reaching their full potential.
“For many children, school becomes a place of survival rather than growth. Their abilities remain undiscovered, their confidence gradually erodes, and their potential is left untapped simply because the system was never designed with them in mind,” she stated.
She added that inclusive education must move beyond policy discussions and awareness campaigns to become an actionable national commitment.
Ikeako also announced that education stakeholders, parents, therapists, policymakers, and inclusion advocates would gather at the National Inclusion Conference 2026 scheduled to hold in Lagos on May 29 and 30, 2026.
The conference, themed “Embedding Inclusive Excellence: Supporting Neurodiverse Learners in Every Class,” will focus on practical strategies for inclusive learning, accessibility, neurodiversity, and educational support systems in Nigeria.
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