23/03/2026
BREAKING BARRIERS: HWANDE’S VISION GIVES HOPE TO CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN BENUE
The story of children with special needs in many communities has long been shaped by stigma, misunderstanding, and neglect. Across cultures, some families have associated such conditions with superstition, leading to abandonment, social isolation, and denial of opportunities for education and development.
For many of these children, life often begins with rejection. Some are hidden away at home, excluded from school and community activities, and deprived of the support systems necessary for their growth. These realities have continued to limit their potential and diminish their chances of integration into society.
Determined to change this narrative, the Chief Medical Director of Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi, Dr. Terungwa Stephen Hwande, initiated the establishment of the BSUTH Therapeutic Centre for Children with Special Needs, an idea that has become one of his most laudable achievements.
Dr. Hwande described the initiative as a record-breaking step, noting that BSUTH is the first teaching hospital in Nigeria to adopt a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to managing children with special needs within a hospital-based therapeutic centre.
According to him, children with developmental challenges possess unique talents which, when properly nurtured, can become valuable contributions to society. He therefore called for stronger partnerships with organizations and well-meaning individuals to expand the centre and enhance its services.
The Head of the Centre, Prof. Chris Vande, explained that the facility operates through specialized therapy plans tailored to the needs of each child. These interventions include speech therapy, behavioural therapy, physiotherapy, educational therapy, as well as diet and nutrition support.
Established in May, 2025 as part of BSUTH’s broader healthcare expansion, the centre focuses on children living with conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, speech and language disorders, and other developmental disabilities requiring specialized care.
With a multidisciplinary team of therapists, medical professionals, and about twenty specialized teachers, the centre provides developmental assessment, learning support, and rehabilitation aimed at improving communication, motor skills, cognitive development, and social integration.
Parents whose children are currently undergoing therapy at the centre say they have already noticed remarkable improvements in their wards and have describe the centre as a place of renewed hope, and encouraged other families facing similar challenges not to give up.
Parents and guardians with children living with developmental challenges are therefore encouraged to seize this golden initiative introduced by Dr. Hwande by registering their wards at the centre to benefit from the quality medical, therapeutic, and educational support available at BSUTH.
Tsenzughul Moses F. mnipr
CIO/Head, Public Relations and Protocol
Benue State University Teaching Hospital