Professor Vincent Chukwuma Babatunde Nwuga was a man of many parts: If you call him an English (Oyinbo), you are correct; if you call him an Igbo man (Ndigbo),
you are very correct; and if you decide to call him a Yoruba, you are indeed very correct. He was indeed a true Nigerian. He has influenced so many people. Some of us are just lucky to experience the taste of the pudgy directly in a way. And I tell you, it is better experienced than been told.
Professor VCB Nwuga got into the scene of our noble profession – Physiotherapy, at the peak oppression of our profession, as I was told; since I only graduated 21 years ago (March 1994), from the University of Lagos. My first contact with Prof. VCB Nwuga was in 1999, during my Masters programme at the University of Ibadan; when we, the first set of the Masters programme of the Physiotherapy Department of the University of Ibadan had to travel down to Ile-Ife for our lectures in Manual Therapy. We were nine number - from the left in the photograph DO Odebiyi, BOA Adegoke, AC Odole, A Aderibigbe, RA Olanrewaju, BA Telle, A Akintayo, AT Olalekan and O Ayanniyi. The whole ideal was for us to have first-hand knowledge from the Master himself and not from one of his students. I thank the then Head of the department of the physiotherapy department; of the University of Ibadan who pioneered the Postgraduate programme of the University of Ibadan – Prof. AO Sanya for this exposure. For me that was the beginning of the interest in understanding the Spine (The Backbone). My M.Sc. dissertation topic was inspired Prof VCB Nwuga’s stimulating lectures. I approached him for further enlightenment which he gladly did with materials (His publications) backings. During my PhD, I built on my Masters work by developing a Nigerian friendly health education programme (The Nigerian Back School (NBS), available at www.nigerainbackschool.com, for patients with back pain. One of the ways I thought of saying thank you was to dedicate the NBS Handbook to you Prof VCB Nwuga and Robin McKenzie. It is difficult to accept that Prof. VCB Nwuga is no longer physically with us; however, I
believe that you live-on; as long as The Nwugarian technique is effective and continues to enjoy word-wide propagation, by the faithful – I believe I am one. It
is unfortunate that we all will have to pay this debt. Like Prof Obajuluwa wrote in his tribute “He came, he saw, he seized, he led, he rearranged, he reshuffled and re-stacked the cards set against our heavily oppressed beloved profession …”
I personally appreciate your intellectual and outstanding accomplishments in the
upliftment of our noble profession in Nigeria; both academically and clinically. I have no doubt that you have gone to lie in the bosom of your Creator. Continue to rest in peace, great Mentor.
My prayer goes to the entire Nwuga family - May our good LORD comfort, console, protect and keep you knitted together in Jesus; mighty name. Amen.
For the Physiotherapy family, may God give us the grace to accept this great loss. Amen.

Daniel O. Odebiyi PhD
Senior Lecturer - Physiotherapy Department; and
Sub-Dean - Faculty of Clinical Sciences
College of Medicine, University of Lagos.
website: www.nigerianbackschool.com
GSM: +23480 2471 7968