Clinical Physiologists Protest LAUTECH Decision to Relocate Anatomy and Physiology Departments

The Professional Association of Practicing Clinical Physiologists in Nigeria (PAPCPN) has issued a formal protest against the management of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) following a Senate decision to move the Departments of Human Physiology and Anatomy out of the College of Health Sciences.

In an open letter addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Razaq Olatunde Rom Kalilu, the association described the relocation to the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences as "highly catastrophic" and a direct violation of national academic standards.

The PAPCPN, led by National President Okeke Ugochukwu Ifeanyi, argued that the move contravenes the National Universities Commission (NUC) Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS). According to the association, the NUC unequivocally classifies Human Physiology and Anatomy as foundational pillars of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences within the healthcare ecosystem.

"To excise [Physiology] from the College of Health Sciences is to fundamentally misrepresent the profession," the letter stated, asserting that any move to place these clinical disciplines under "Pure and Applied Sciences" acts outside legal regulatory bounds.

The association raised several critical alarms regarding the impact of the relocation:

Professional Marginalisation: Severing the connection between students and the clinical environment jeopardises their future careers in Clinical Physiology.

Administrative Injustice: The letter alleged a "troubling environment of intimidation" where Physiology lecturers are reportedly being sidelined and denied leadership roles within their own departments.

National Impact: PAPCPN warned that demeaning the profession at LAUTECH has broader implications for Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system and national development.

Describing the Senate's approval (Ref: R/DAA/SEN/21) as an agenda driven by personal interests rather than academic best practices, the association appealed to Professor Kalilu to exercise his office's power to reverse the decision.

The protest has been copied to the NUC Executive Secretary, the LAUTECH Governing Council, and various university deans, signaling a potential standoff between the professional body and the university’s high-ranking administration.