The Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists (NSA) was formally launched in 1979 at the Old Great Hall of College of Medicine, University of Lagos. Prior to this, the NSA members functioned actively as members of the Society of Anaesthetist of West Africa (S A W A ), which has been in existence since 1965. The first President at re-inauguration was Late Prof Dayo Famewo while Dr O O Oladapo was the secretary. Membership was open to all Physician Anaesthetists in the six geo-political regions of Nigeria. It was also extended to Nigerian Physician Anaesthetists in Diaspora.
The aims and objectives of the society as specified in our constitution are:
a. To promote the interest and advancement of the specialty of Anaesthesia in all facets in Nigeria.
b. To provide the much needed communication and interaction among physicians practicing Anaesthesia in Nigeria.
c. To guide and assist the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the provision of an efficient and effective anaesthetic service to the people of Nigeria.
d. To cater for the welfare of all physician anaesthetists in Nigeria and maintain a good standard of practice and ethics in the specialty.
In order to maintain standards, the NSA assists in organizing update lectures, seminars and workshops for non-physician anaesthetists who are mostly anaesthetic Nurses in the various zones of the country. The annual general meeting of the society has taken place regularly in the last week of November since 1996. The various towns, which have hosted the AGM since 1996 are as follows:
1996 4th Ibadan
1997 5th Benin
1998 6th Port-Harcourt
1999 7th Jos
2000 8th Sagamu
2001 9th Calabar
2002 10th Warri
2003 11th Kaduna
2004 12th Lagos
2005 13th Port-Harcourt
2006 14th Abuja
2007 15th ilorin
2008 16th Ibadan
2009 17th Enugu
2010 18th Kano
2011 19th Ile -Ife
2012 20th Benin
2013 21st Lagos
2014 22nd Calabar
2015 23rd Owerri
2016 24th Jos
2017 25th Abuja
2018 26th Port Harcourt
2019 27th Uyo
2020 28th Virtual
2021 29th Virtual
2022 30th Abuja
The 6th All African Anaesthesia Congress and the 25th NSA Annual Conference was held at the NAF conference Centre in Abuja, the capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.