Key Points
- Stakeholders advocate wider use of AI tools for children with dyslexia.
- Experts say technology can improve reading, writing and communication skills.
- Affordability, teacher training and digital access remain key challenges.
- Stakeholders call for greater awareness and early diagnosis of dyslexia.
Main Story
Stakeholders have urged schools and education authorities in Nigeria to make greater use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and assistive technologies to support children living with dyslexia.
They made the recommendation in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos, saying digital tools could help pupils who struggle with reading, spelling and written expression.
Praise Okafor, a health writer, said poor understanding of dyslexia often resulted in affected children being wrongly judged in conventional classrooms.
She said digital resources could give such pupils alternative ways of accessing lessons and completing learning activities, but stressed that their use should be guided by professional assessment and individual learning plans.
Chinedu Eze, a special needs education consultant, said teachers must be trained to recognise possible signs of dyslexia and match learners with appropriate assistive technologies.
He said the effectiveness of such tools depended on teachers being able to integrate them properly into classroom instruction.
A primary school teacher in Lekki, Amina Bello, said speech-to-text and text-to-speech applications could help reduce some of the difficulties faced by dyslexic pupils.
She explained that text-to-speech could enable pupils to listen to written instructions, while speech-to-text could provide an alternative means of expressing ideas.
Bello, however, cautioned that digital tools should not replace direct support from teachers and parents.
David Ibrahim, an educational technology developer, called for locally developed and affordable AI learning platforms, noting that the cost of subscriptions and poor internet access could limit adoption.
He urged developers to include offline functionality, low-data options and content suited to Nigerian learners.
Ngozi Nwosu, a parent, also identified affordability as a major challenge and called for measures to make assistive learning technologies accessible to children from low-income households.
Samuel Adeyemi, an education researcher, said access to technology must be considered alongside Nigeria’s wider digital infrastructure challenges.
He noted that children in rural communities could be excluded from AI-assisted learning where schools lacked electricity, internet connectivity, computers and trained personnel.
Adeyemi called for collaboration among government agencies, technology companies, schools, parents and non-governmental organisations to improve access and support implementation.
The stakeholders also called for greater public awareness of dyslexia and earlier identification of children experiencing learning difficulties.
They advised parents to seek professional assessment rather than relying solely on AI tools to determine whether a child has dyslexia.
They said the usefulness of AI-assisted learning would ultimately depend on whether the technology was affordable and accessible and whether teachers were adequately prepared to use it.
The Issues
Many children with dyslexia remain undiagnosed or unsupported within Nigeria’s education system. While AI-powered tools offer new opportunities for personalised learning, challenges such as affordability, infrastructure gaps, limited awareness and inadequate teacher training continue to affect adoption.
What’s Being Said
“AI-powered learning platforms can provide alternative ways for children to access educational content.” — Praise Okafor, Health Writer
“Technology should complement the teacher, not replace the teacher.” — Chinedu Eze, Special Needs Education Consultant
“Teachers and parents must continue to provide encouragement, guidance and direct learning support.” — Amina Bello, Primary School Teacher
What’s Next
Stakeholders are calling for increased investment in accessible learning technologies, stronger teacher training programmes and broader awareness campaigns to improve support for children living with dyslexia.
Bottom Line
Experts believe AI and assistive technologies can help children with dyslexia overcome learning barriers, but success will depend on affordability, accessibility, trained educators and responsible implementation.
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