Nigeria: Jigawa Doctor Elected President of Nigeria's Physiotherapy Society

What the report says

The Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy (NSP) has elected Dr Usman Ahmed as its new national president, according to a Premium Times report distributed by AllAfrica. He was chosen at the society’s annual general meeting during the NSP Unity Conference 2026 in Kano State, alongside 10 other executive officers who will serve on the new national leadership team.

The conference ran from 25 to 31 October 2026 and reportedly drew more than 1,000 participants, including physiotherapists, researchers, academics, students and other health-sector stakeholders from across Nigeria. The gathering combined elections with professional sessions aimed at strengthening the field and promoting unity within the association.

Premium Times reported that Ahmed’s term begins at a moment when physiotherapy is playing a larger role in rehabilitation, chronic disease management and disability prevention in Nigeria. The incoming council’s stated priorities include improving members’ welfare, supporting more clinical research and pushing for greater policy recognition of physiotherapy services within the national health system.

The meeting also featured clinical plenaries, workshops and scientific sessions, including an inaugural early-career physiotherapists forum that attracted more than 250 practitioners in their first decade after graduation. That session included mentorship and leadership training, along with engagement from officials tied to Nigeria’s rehabilitation regulatory framework.