ADDITIONAL LAUREL GREETS AMU’S FORTRESS

Like the tigress of the diplomatic fraternity, the phenomenal woman from Owan West, seamless politician, and doyenne of excellence in the world of Occupational Therapy [OT], Dr. Victoria Omua Amu whose most recent moniker is ‘The Brand” has continued to win awards in divergent areas, depending on the area that the Awarder saw her, like the three men who described the elephant according to their pulses.

Today, Edo North Political Discourse Forum World-Wide, a socio-political organization domiciled in Edo North, conferred the Infrastructural And Human Capital Development Award on Dr. Amu as an appreciation for her continuous efforts to better the lots of Afemai people through her empowerment initiative and infrastructural development in the area.

Dr. Victoria Amu was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and she is a USA trained Occupational Therapist, with a Masters’s degree in Community Health Education and a candidate for a doctoral degree in occupational therapy

Her passion for occupational therapy(OT) is in Neuro-Rehabilitation, with an objective for advocacy and social justice. This led to her heeding the clarion call and returning 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 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, Dr. 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 of occupational therapy, HOD, and member of the Central Hospital Management Committee.

Dr. Victoria Omua Amu continues her quest of making notable advancements in occupational therapy. Today, occupational therapy practice and service delivery in NIGERIA is synonymous with the name VICTORIA AMU.
Dr. 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 increase employment of entry-level OT graduates in Hospitals and the Champion for the new salary scheme of service for OTs and OTAs. Internationally, her contributions to OT development in Africa can not be quantified. She represented Nigeria in Yokohama, Japan 2014 and also in Kampala, Kenya, during the OTARG congress in 2015. She led a team of occupational therapists to OTARG Ghana 2017. Despite their busy schedule and multi-faceted responsibilities, Dr. Amu Victoria had always created time to contribute to the body of knowledge. 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 different media platforms. Her strong zeal for advocacy and social equality has made her more frequent in television interviews than most of her contemporaries.

Dr. 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 Therapists (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 outstanding student, and earned herself the Employee of the Year Award (VNSNY) in 2005. In 2018(South Africa), she was awarded the Merit Award for Occupational Therapy Service in Nigeria by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists

She was the National President of the Occupational Therapists Association (OTAN), formerly Nigeria Association of Occupational Therapists (2013 – 2020), also functions as World Federation of Occupational Therapy, delegate (2013 – 2020), 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, and Salvation Army. She was also the co-coordinator of the South-South Civil Society for the eradication of tuberculosis.

Dr. Amu is an urbane character with a passion for excellence. She is very resilient, hard-working, and indefatigable. She is an ardent activist for social justice and equality. Her firm belief in the philosophy of persistence breaks resistance, making her a well-adjusted individual, to cope with every challenge that comes her way.

Dr. Amu is a christian, married, and has five children. She loves reading, listening to music, and socializing.