The University of Ibadan (UI) Senate has approved the elevation of the Department of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine, to a full-fledged Faculty of Physiotherapy, making it the first such faculty in Nigeria. The decision was reached at the Senate meeting on Monday, August 31, 2026.
The programme dates back to 1957, with UI admitting its first two physiotherapy students in 1966. It has since grown from a programme with one Associate Lecturer and no dedicated facilities into a department offering undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral training.
The new faculty will comprise five departments: Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy, Musculoskeletal/Orthopaedic Physiotherapy, Neurological Physiotherapy, Sports and Recreational Physiotherapy, and Occupational Therapy. The restructuring is expected to strengthen specialised training, research, clinical education and interdisciplinary collaboration.
The approval marks a new chapter for physiotherapy education at UI, following nearly seven decades of development in the programme.
Omoyemi Adeoye Abdulgafar
