The Students’ Physiological Association of Nigeria (SPAN) has raised concerns over the career prospects of thousands of physiology students, citing weak professional regulation and limited opportunities beyond academia.
SPAN National President, Mr Victor Iyiola, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Wednesday.
Iyiola said a nationwide enumeration conducted by the association identified 24,510 undergraduate physiology students across 53 registered university chapters.
He described the figure as a significant pool of young professionals being trained in the basic medical sciences but whose career prospects remained uncertain due to structural challenges within the profession.
According to him, despite the critical role of physiology in medicine and healthcare, graduates face barriers that restrict their ability to apply their expertise in clinical and other specialized fields.
He identified the absence of a statutory regulatory council for physiology as one of the profession’s major challenges.
Iyiola said the regulatory gap had weakened efforts to establish professional standards, protect career opportunities and effectively represent holders of B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in physiology.
He also raised concerns over the limited opportunities available to students for meaningful clinical postings and the shortage of structured positions for physiology graduates in teaching hospitals.
“The problem is compounded by the concentration of physiology graduates in academic careers, but universities cannot absorb the growing number of graduates.
“Applied branches such as clinical physiology, sports physiology, environmental and climate physiology, nutritional and metabolic physiology, and aerospace and aviation physiology face structural neglect,” he said.
Iyiola noted that the situation was different in countries where clinical and applied physiology had developed clear professional pathways within healthcare systems.
He further identified poor laboratory infrastructure and inadequate access to modern diagnostic equipment as major setbacks to practical training.
“Students often graduated without adequate exposure to equipment such as digital spirometers, advanced EEG machines and metabolic carts, forcing some graduates to undertake additional training after university,” he said.
The SPAN president said research was also affected by inadequate domestic funding and poor laboratory infrastructure, which had increased dependence on collaborations with institutions outside Nigeria.
He described the situation as a missed opportunity, given Nigeria’s growing number of trained physiologists.
Iyiola called for the creation of an appropriate statutory regulatory framework, clearer pathways for clinical postings and internships, and structured employment opportunities for graduates.
He also urged increased domestic investment in research and laboratory infrastructure to strengthen training and expand career opportunities within the profession.
The association’s president called for improved conditions across the health and education sectors to reduce the pressure on skilled professionals to seek opportunities abroad.
He said the 24,510 students captured in SPAN’s census should be regarded not merely as a statistic but as a pipeline of skilled human capital.
“These professionals could contribute to healthcare, scientific research, sports science, nutrition and other areas if properly supported,” Iyiola said.
