The Medical Rehabilitation Therapists (Registration) Board of Nigeria (MRTB) has raised concerns over the growing demand for rehabilitation services in the country, revealing that about one in every three Nigerians requires rehabilitation care, while access to such services remains critically limited.
The Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the MRTB, Prof. Rufai Yusuf Ahmed, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja, noting that the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, injuries, disability, ageing, and conflict-related health conditions has significantly increased the need for rehabilitation services nationwide.
He warned that despite this rising demand, Nigeria continues to face a severe shortage of rehabilitation professionals, infrastructure, and funding, leaving millions of citizens without adequate access to care.
According to the board, rehabilitation services remain heavily concentrated in urban tertiary hospitals, while rural communities—where the majority of Nigerians live—have little or no access to such care.
The MRTB also highlighted that Nigeria’s rehabilitation workforce remains far below global requirements, with a limited number of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, audiologists, and prosthetics specialists serving a population of over 200 million people.
To address the gap, the board outlined ongoing reforms, including efforts to integrate rehabilitation services into primary healthcare centres, expand training programmes in universities, and improve workforce distribution across the country.
It also disclosed plans to strengthen regulation, digitise professional licensing systems, and improve coordination with health authorities to expand access and reduce out-of-pocket costs for patients.
Health experts say the situation underscores broader weaknesses in Nigeria’s healthcare system, particularly in disability care and long-term recovery services, warning that without urgent investment, the gap could worsen existing inequalities in health outcomes.
As of the time of filing this report, stakeholders continue to call for increased government funding and policy reforms to make rehabilitation services more accessible and affordable nationwide.
