Nigeria’s plan to integrate medical rehabilitation into Primary Healthcare Centres could significantly improve access to care, but health experts say its success will depend on adequate financing, trained professionals, appropriate assistive technology and stronger coordination across government.
Experts discussing medical rehabilitation and assistive technology on NTA’s Good Morning Nigeria argued that rehabilitation must no longer be viewed simply as an additional service provided after medical treatment.
Instead, it should form part of mainstream healthcare from the point of treatment through a patient’s return to independent life. Dr Nassib Tawa, a Rehabilitation 2030 Initiative Consultant, described rehabilitation as a core component of a functioning public health system.
Traditionally, rehabilitation has often been regarded as an “after-service” or even a luxury. Tawa argued that this perception needs to change. Rehabilitation is not exclusively for people living with permanent disabilities. Patients recovering from stroke, tuberculosis, HIV, broken limbs and other conditions may require rehabilitation to regain their ability to function independently.
The scale of potential demand makes the issue particularly important for Nigeria. According to Tawa, one in every five Nigerians has a condition that could benefit from rehabilitation services.
Yet many rehabilitation services remain concentrated in urban centres and specialist institutions, creating an accessibility problem for people living in rural and underserved communities. Integrating rehabilitation into Primary Healthcare Centres could begin to address that imbalance.
Nigeria Faces Severe Shortage of Rehabilitation Professionals
Experts say that despite the proposed expansion, Nigeria faces a considerable shortage of professionals needed to provide rehabilitation services to its population. Registrar of the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board, Prof. Rufai Yusuf Ahmad, said Nigeria has fewer than 10,000 registered physiotherapists serving a population exceeding 200 million.
The shortages are even more pronounced in some specialist rehabilitation professions. According to Ahmad, the country has fewer than 500 professionals in each of areas including speech therapy, audiology and prosthetics.
The manpower shortage could become particularly important as Nigeria attempts to expand rehabilitation beyond tertiary institutions into primary healthcare facilities. Ahmad said approximately 15 universities have begun programmes in areas including occupational and speech therapy as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s rehabilitation workforce.
There is also a proposal for institutions that have already graduated a cohort of rehabilitation professionals to establish master’s and doctoral programmes. Expanding postgraduate education could help produce the academic staff required to train subsequent generations of rehabilitation professionals.
