… Tasks govt on retention strategies amid brain drain syndrome

… Hails expansion of occupational therapy in varsities

The Occupational Therapists Association of Nigeria (OTAN) has called for government investment in rehabilitation services, professional development, and workforce expansion, warning that the country’s growing rehabilitation needs require urgent policy attention and stronger retention of trained therapists.

The call was made during the association’s maiden Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting, held over the weekend with the theme Sustainable Nation, Functional Individual: Leveraging Occupational Therapy for Functional Restoration of Individuals in Developing Countries.

According to the OTAN National President, Oluwasegun Ayeni, the conference was coming more than two decades after the association was established, stressing that the gathering provided a platform for members across clinical, academic, and private practice settings to exchange ideas, share experiences, and address issues affecting the profession.

Ayeni traced the evolution of occupational therapy in the country and identified longstanding misconceptions, including the perception of the discipline as subordinate to physiotherapy, as a barrier to its visibility, recognition, and institutional growth.

He disclosed that the intervention of the National Committee for the Advancement of Occupational Therapy, Audiology, and Speech Therapy Education, established by the Federal Ministry of Education in March 2026, had increased the number of universities offering occupational therapy programs from two to more than 10 within seven months.

Ayeni, however, called for improved working conditions, competitive remuneration, expanded training opportunities, and deliberate workforce retention strategies to prevent trained therapists from migrating abroad in search of better opportunities.

“A sustainable economy must be inclusive. National development can only be meaningful when every citizen, irrespective of disability or functional limitation, is empowered to participate in everyday activities,” he stated.

Ayeni further urged practitioners to strengthen their professional identity, embrace effective leadership, promote institutional collaboration, and reposition the association for greater influence in national development.

He also revealed the establishment of the Occupational Therapy Students Association of Nigeria, describing it as a move to strengthen the future of the profession and ensure a seamless transition from studentship to professional practice after induction.

He said the students’ wing would hold its first national convention during the conference, where its constitution would be adopted and new executives inaugurated.