University of Ibadan Establishes Nigeria's First Faculty of Physiotherapy After 60 Years
- The University of Ibadan Senate approved the creation of Nigeria's first Faculty of Physiotherapy on Monday, August 31, 2026
- The new faculty will house five departments, including Cardiorespiratory, Neurological, and Sports and Recreational Physiotherapy
- The decision follows nearly seven decades of physiotherapy education at UI, which admitted its first two students in October 1966
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Ibadan, Oyo State - The University of Ibadan has established Nigeria's first Faculty of Physiotherapy after its Senate voted to elevate the existing Department of Physiotherapy to full faculty status at a meeting on Monday, August 31, 2026.
The new faculty sits within the College of Medicine and marks a significant shift in how physiotherapy is structured and taught at one of Nigeria's oldest universities.
Source: Twitter
This was disclosed in a statement issued via the College of Medicine X handle @CoMUIIbadan on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
A journey that began in 1957
The roots of the programme stretch back to October 1957, when Miss S. M. Evans, then Vice-Chairman of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in London, was invited by the Nigerian Government to assess the country's readiness for physiotherapy training.
That assessment eventually led to the University of Ibadan Senate approving a three-year degree programme in May 1964, and the first two students were admitted in October 1966.
The early programme ran with a single Associate Lecturer and no dedicated facilities. Classes took place in makeshift rooms inside the University College Hospital.
Over the following decades, the programme moved through several administrative arrangements, including a stint within the Orthopaedic Unit of the Department of Surgery, before gaining full departmental status in 1981.
Since then, the department expanded its undergraduate offering from a B.Sc. in Physiotherapy to a Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree and, more recently, a Doctor of Physiotherapy.
Postgraduate training grew to cover Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy programmes. The department currently has 12 academic staff, among them four Professors, with almost all holding doctoral degrees.
What the new Faculty will look like
The Faculty of Physiotherapy will be organised into five departments:
1. Department of Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy 2. Department of Musculoskeletal/Orthopaedic Physiotherapy 3. Department of Neurological Physiotherapy 4. Department of Sports and Recreational Physiotherapy 5. Department of Occupational Therapy
University officials said the restructuring was driven by the growing complexity of physiotherapy as a health profession and the need for a stronger academic framework to support specialist training, advanced research, and interdisciplinary work.
The new faculty's stated vision is to become "a world-class physiotherapy training and research centre," with a focus on high-quality education, scientific advancement, and developing professionals equipped for both clinical practice and research.
University of Ibadan officials described the Senate decision as both a recognition of the department's contribution to healthcare manpower development across West Africa and a signal of the university's intent to deepen its role in shaping the future of physiotherapy across the continent.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that the University of Ibadan opened applications for fully online master's degrees and postgraduate diplomas approved by the University Senate for 2026.
UI eCampus targets working professionals and graduates in Nigeria, across Africa and in the diaspora who cannot relocate for campus-based study.
The programmes are taught by University of Ibadan faculty and delivered through a partnership with Astria Learning, with flexible tuition payment available.
Source: Legit.ng
