Nigeria, Dec. 6 -- As a proud physiotherapist trained at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, I often celebrate the uniqueness of my alma mater. However, Ile-Ife, being a relatively smaller and less urbanised town in the 1980s, offered limited exposure to patients with type 2 diabetes. During my training, the subject of diabetes was confined to theoretical discussions, including a memorable anecdote from a professor about an hypoglycemic patient revived with a Coca-Cola drink during his studies in Canada.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, the prevalence of diabetes in Nigeria was minimal, and awareness was limited. A 2014 study titled, Diabetes Mellitus in Nigeria: The Past, Present, and Future, noted that "little was known about the c...