Abuja:The Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria (MRTB) has announced the development of national standards for postgraduate clinical specialization aimed at regulating advanced physiotherapy practice and enhancing professional capacity across the nation. The announcement was made by the Registrar of the Board, Prof. Rufai Ahmed, during a news conference in Abuja at the close-out ceremony for the training of 46 physiotherapists from various regions of the country.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the initiative includes a collaboration between the Foundation for Empowering Persons with Disabilities and the Manual Therapy Foundation of India. This partnership is focused on equipping Nigerian physiotherapists with the skills needed to identify and treat the underlying mechanical causes of pain, disability, and movement impairments, rather than merely addressing symptoms.
The MRTB has developed a draft standard to coordinate specialized clinical practices nationwide. Prof. Ahmed highlighted the Board’s evaluation of existing specialization areas and available professional skills, noting the collaboration with international foundations, trainers, and institutes to bolster advanced physiotherapy practice. The training follows a train-the-trainer model, enabling selected physiotherapists to gain specialized skills and disseminate the knowledge to colleagues in their regions.
The program, coordinated through the Foundation for Empowering Persons with Disabilities with technical support from the Indian foundation, will include at least four international partner workshops each quarter, supplemented by continuous local training sessions. These sessions will cover foundational, advanced, and specialist categories. Future capacity-building programs are set to expand into other areas of physiotherapy specialization, such as neurology, pediatrics, cardiopulmonary care, and women’s health.
Prof. Ahmed also addressed proposals for establishing an Institute of Manual and Manipulative Therapy in Nigeria. He stated that such specialized centers require proper governance, academic and institutional frameworks, and would need multidisciplinary professionals, research frameworks, and community engagement arrangements.
Prof. Umasankar Mohanty, Founder of the Manual Therapy Foundation of India, emphasized the importance of professional skills development in strengthening physiotherapy services and healthcare delivery. He expressed satisfaction with his participation in the Nigerian program, marking his first professional engagement in Africa, and pledged ongoing support for the participating physiotherapists.
Dr. Ibrahim Ruzuk, Deputy Director of Physiotherapy at Rakiya Shani Pindoro University Teaching Hospital, described the training as crucial for addressing Nigeria’s growing needs for specialized rehabilitation services. Similarly, Dr. Habiba Abdul-Aziz from the African Medical Centre of Excellence highlighted the significance of manual therapy in rehabilitation, noting the training’s exposure to contemporary techniques as invaluable.
The training initiative aligns with the Federal Ministry of Education’s efforts to establish regional centers of excellence for autism and spectrum disorders, with plans to expand similar specialized facilities across universities and regions.