Abuja:The Federal Government has committed funds to create a state-of-the-art 3D prosthetics training centre at the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board (MRTB) in Abuja. This initiative was announced by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, at a 3D-Printed Prosthetics Technology Showcase event.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Salako highlighted that the centre aims to facilitate training, technology transfer, and professional development. This effort is part of a broader strategy to modernize prosthetics and orthotics services, improve rehabilitation outcomes, and increase access to assistive technology. The project is a collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), funded by the Government of Japan, and focuses on addressing critical rehabilitation needs for landmine victims and other amputees.
Dr. Salako noted that the project includes advanced equipment such as 3D printers, scanners, testing devices, replacement components, and specialized printing consumables. The digital workflow enabled by these technologies can enhance design consistency, reduce production timelines, and potentially lower costs, while ensuring that patient care remains central to the process.
Professor Rufai Ahmad, Registrar of MRTB, expressed that the adoption of 3D-printed prosthetics technology will enhance rehabilitation services, develop local technical capacity, and improve access to quality prosthetic care. Ahmad emphasized the importance of collaboration with institutions and stakeholders to ensure professional compliance and the safe use of the technology.
Ahmad also highlighted the need for continuous training, equipment maintenance, and reliable partnerships to sustain the project’s benefits. He called for accessible, affordable, and respectful rehabilitation services, involving persons with disabilities and their families in service improvement decisions.
Mr. Philbert Johnson, UNIDO Regional Director, noted that the technology transfer from Japan is enhancing access to precise and affordable artificial limbs for amputees. With significant demand illustrated by 700 applicants in Maiduguri and Kano, 200 amputees have been selected to receive prostheses, and a Training of Trainers programme is being conducted for Nigerian professionals.
Johnson mentioned that institutions like the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and National Orthopaedic Hospital, Kano, have been equipped with the necessary technology. The project also aims to train 500 prosthetists and orthotists annually at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. He urged Nigerian trainees to embrace the technology and encouraged investment in local supply chains to expand the prosthetics model across Nigeria and beyond.