Nigeria, Jan. 23 -- In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Victoria Nwanne, Founder of the Stutter Awareness Foundation, speaks on the scale of stuttering in Nigeria, deep-rooted myths about the condition, the absence of speech therapy services, government neglect, and the burden children who stutter bear in a system that refuses to see them.

PT: Can you tell us about stuttering in Nigeria and its prevalence?

Ms Nwanne: Stuttering is a disability that affects over 1.5 million people in Nigeria, yet there is little to no institutional intervention. By that, I mean there is no structured response from the government or relevant agencies.

In Nigeria, children from about the age of six, which is a very critical period for early intervention...