Ms. Victoria Amu Podcast Interview

**Long deserving bio alert: Ms. Victoria Amu was born in Lagos, Nigeria and she is presently, a doctoral candidate at the prestigious Boston University, USA

Her passion for Occupational Therapy(OT) is in Women's Health, with an objective for advocacy and social justice. This led to her heeding the clarion call and returned to Nigeria with the vision for social justice and equality.

She began resuscitating the dying Occupational Therapy services in Nigeria, by joining the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and changed the Department from two open spaces with four Occupational Therapy Assistants as staff to a department with six treatment areas( Neuro-Rehabilitation, Pediatrics, Orthopedic and splinting, Mental Health, ADL, Vocational Rehabilitation).  She worked not only as a HOD but also supervised clinical postings of OT and OTA students, besides her regular routine practice as an astute Therapist. In a bid to extend Occupational Therapy service to clients and patients, not in the mainstream of Government Hospital service, Ms. Amu became a consultant to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)Hospital, Benin Zone (2008-2011).

In further pursuit of her advocacy and social justice, she joined the Edo State Hospitals Management Board and made history by establishing the first OT Department in Nigeria within a State Hospital. She is presently the Director, Occupational Therapy, HOD, and member of the Central Hospital Management Committee.

Ms. Victoria Amu continues her quest to making notable advancements in Occupational Therapy. Today, Occupational Therapy practice and service delivery in Nigeria is synonymous with the name VICTORIA AMU.

Ms. Amu strives daily to integrate OT service into the Two Hundred and Five (205) Tertiary Hospitals across Nigeria. She is always at the forefront in advocating a revised curriculum of study for Bachelor of Occupational Therapy in Nigeria and increases employment of entry-level OT graduates into Hospitals and the Champion for the new salary scheme of service for OTs and OTAs. Internationally, her contributions to OT development in Africa cannot be quantified, she represented Nigeria in Yokohama, Japan 2014 and also in Kampala, Kenya during OTARG congress in 2015. She leads a team of Occupational Therapist to OTARG Ghana 2017.   

She has many publications on Occupational Therapy, systemic diseases, and breast health in reputable journals and newspapers to her credit. She is also, a public speaker on many issues of National Interest on the different media platforms. 

 Ms. Victoria Amu believes so much in contributing to Professional Development. Consequently, she has organized and attended many CPDs, seminars, and workshops in areas of Stroke Rehabilitation and Human Occupations within and outside Nigeria.

She is also a member of many Professional Organizations: World Federation of Occupational Therapist (WFOT), Medical Rehabilitation Therapist Board of Nigeria(MRTBN), Occupational Therapist in Nigeria (OTAN), America Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine(ACRM)

 She has won several awards which include distinguished academic achievement, was on the National Dean’s List (1993), for an outstanding student, and earned herself the Employee of the Year Award (VNSNY) in 2005. In 2018, Victoria was a recipient of the World Federation of Occupational Therapy, Merit Award in South Africa.

She is the past President of the Occupational Therapists Association (OTAN), formerly Nigeria Association of Occupational Therapist (2014 – 2020), also functions as World Federation of Occupational Therapy,  delegate (2014 – present), Chairman Curriculum Development Research and Strategy Committee(2016 – 2020),  Board member of the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria (2013 – 2016) She has also contributed immensely to humanitarian services both in Nigeria in the United State of America. She is a member of Lions Club International, Medical Reserve Corp – USA, American Red Cross, Salvation Army. She was also the co-coordinator, South-South Civil Society for the eradication of Tuberculosis. Her firm belief in the philosophy of persistence breaks resistance makes her a well-adjusted individual, to cope with every challenge that comes her way. Ms. Amu is a Christian and has four children. She loves reading, listening to music, and socializing.

*Email address: vickieamu@gmail.com

 

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