Dr Yusuf Rufai, Registrar of the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria (MRTBN), has called for increased government funding and workforce expansion to improve rehabilitation services. He made the appeal on Saturday in Abuja during a training programme organised by MRTBN and Built to Last (BTL), a Central European rehabilitation equipment manufacturer. The event focused on integrating modern rehabilitation technologies into physiotherapy practice across Nigeria.
Rufai stated that the partnership with BTL aims to enhance service delivery by incorporating emerging technologies into the regulatory framework. He explained that while BTL supplies rehabilitation technologies, MRTBN ensures practitioners meet required standards of knowledge and skill. "The collaboration enables us to understand available technologies and incorporate them into our regulatory framework," he said. The board, he added, has shifted from strict enforcement to stakeholder engagement and professional education.
He identified limited equipment and inadequate technical capacity as key challenges in the sector. "Using the wrong equipment for a patient's condition may even be detrimental to recovery," Rufai warned, stressing the importance of clinical reasoning in treatment. He disclosed that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare has approved Nigeria's implementation of the WHO's Rehabilitation 2030 Initiative, with financing as a priority area. Rufai urged the government to create dedicated budget lines for rehabilitation and expand health insurance coverage to include rehabilitation technologies.
Physiotherapist Nkiru Jibauku supported the push for advanced tools, saying they improve outcomes and shorten recovery times. "What previously took about three months to heal can now be managed in six weeks," she said. Tony Odhiambo, BTL Medical Nigeria's Head of Sales, said the training connects therapists with modern solutions to improve patient care.
The same regulator now urging expanded funding previously oversaw enforcement actions that deterred private investment in rehabilitation infrastructure. If outdated equipment remains in use due to procurement gaps, patient recovery times could stay prolonged despite new training initiatives. MRTBN's shift to collaboration may signal softer oversight, but without budget commitments, tech adoption will remain limited. The minister's approval of the WHO initiative means little if no funds are allocated for implementation.
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