THE Federal School of Occupational Therapy, Lagos has graduated 27 students in its seventh convocation ceremony held recently. Speaking at the event, Medical Director of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Lagos, Dr. Rahman Lawal, praised efforts of the graduating students and said with the convocation, the school has increased the number of professional occupational therapists in the country. Although occupational therapists are highly needed in rehabilitative medicine, Nigeria is currently deficient in supply of professionals. Except Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and the Federal School of Occupational Therapy, which presently trains students at Diploma level, no other tertiary institution is offering training in the discipline.
The phenomenon has led to the situation where most Nigerians interested in the profession either travel to India to pursue training or are involved in distance learning programmes with foreign institutions. Â
The phenomenon has led to the situation where most Nigerians interested in the profession either travel to India to pursue training or are involved in distance learning programmes with foreign institutions. Â
Lawal said the institute has been making frantic efforts to affiliate it with either local or international universities to enable students obtain Bachelor degree without hassles. He added that the future of the profession is rewarding considering the high demand for their services both in Nigeria and abroad.
While some of the best graduating students got various prizes, some others got automatic employments.
Occupational therapists often work in hospitals, rehabilitation centres, schools, small medical offices, and client’s homes, where they help patients, including toddlers and the elderly, with a wide range of activities that are essential to daily life, including eating, cooking, dressing and operating a computer.
Occupational therapists often work in hospitals, rehabilitation centres, schools, small medical offices, and client’s homes, where they help patients, including toddlers and the elderly, with a wide range of activities that are essential to daily life, including eating, cooking, dressing and operating a computer.
Registrar of the school, Peters Akeredolu, said the federal government extant law, which states that institutions can only affiliate programmes with existing higher institutions already offering such programmes within a stipulated distance, was delaying the course’s affiliation with the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and OAU.