24/03/2026
From Naija to the World: Celebrating Nigeria’s Occupational Therapy Journey at WFOT Congress 2026
The Occupational Therapist Association of Nigeria (OTAN) is pleased to share highlights from Nigeria’s participation at the World Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Congress provided an important global platform to showcase Nigeria’s growing contributions to occupational therapy development, leadership, and advocacy in support of the World Health Organization Rehabilitation 2030 initiative.
Two Nigerian occupational therapy leaders Victoria Amu and Sunday Tayo Eleyinde played notable roles during the Congress, highlighting Nigeria’s progress in strengthening professional development and rehabilitation services through leadership, scholarship, and professional association engagement.
Contributions of Dr Victoria Amu
Victoria Amu, former President of the Occupational Therapists Association of Nigeria (OTAN), also made significant academic contributions at the Congress.
She chaired two academic sessions, facilitating scholarly discussions and knowledge exchange among international occupational therapy researchers and practitioners.
In addition, she co-authored a poster presentation highlighting major milestones achieved by OTAN during her tenure as President. The poster showcased key professional development initiatives, advocacy achievements, and organisational strengthening efforts that have contributed to advancing occupational therapy in Nigeria.
The presentation served as an inspirational example of how strong professional associations can drive the development of allied health professions, particularly within emerging health systems.
Contributions of Sunday Tayo Eleyinde
Sunday Tayo Eleyinde, an occupational therapist, educator, and advocate, presented an oral presentation drawing on his experience as Head of Occupational Therapy at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). His presentation focused on leadership-driven strategies for occupational therapy workforce development, service expansion, and advocacy in emerging practice contexts in Nigeria.
Building on his participation in previous WFOT Congresses (2018 and 2022), he shared lessons from the institutional development of occupational therapy services and how these efforts contribute to strengthening rehabilitation systems in line with the Rehabilitation 2030 agenda. As a member of the WHO Technical Working Group on Rehabilitation 2030 and through leadership roles within the Occupational Therapists Association of Nigeria (OTAN), he also highlighted strategies for:
· professional mentorship and capacity building
· strengthening occupational therapy governance structures
· expanding rehabilitation services in developing health systems.
A distinctive feature of his presentation was the introduction of the Occupational Therapy Anthem, an innovative advocacy initiative using music as a universal medium to promote professional identity, visibility, and public engagement—key enablers for advancing rehabilitation awareness in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Growing Voice in Global Occupational Therapy
Together, the contributions of Sunday Tayo Eleyinde and Dr Victoria Amu at the WFOT Congress demonstrated Nigeria’s increasing engagement in global occupational therapy discourse and leadership.
Their participation highlighted:
· innovative approaches to rehabilitation advocacy
· the importance of professional associations in workforce development
· Nigeria’s commitment to advancing Rehabilitation 2030 goals.
The Congress reaffirmed the central role of occupational therapy in strengthening Nigeria’s rehabilitation system and highlighted the country’s growing voice in global rehabilitation development.
Congratulations to Eleyinde Sunday Tayo and Amu Victoria, congratulations to the Nigeria Occupational therapy Community
Akinsolu Peter
PRO, OTAN
MRTBN
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