Nigeria has fewer than 10,000 rehabilitation professionals for 200m people - Businessday NG

…As MRTBN seeks rehabilitation funding, insurance coverage for physiotherapy technologies

Nigeria’s rehabilitation sector is grappling with a severe workforce deficit, with fewer than 10,000 registered medical rehabilitation professionals serving a population of more than 200 million people.

Experts say the shortage is limiting access to specialised care and worsening outcomes for patients living with disabilities and chronic conditions.

The Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria (MRTBN) is now pushing for dedicated government funding for rehabilitation services, broader health insurance coverage for modern physiotherapy technologies, and accelerated investment in workforce development to bridge the widening gap.

Yusuf Rufai, registrar of the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria, disclosed this in Abuja during a collaborative training programme organised by the board and Built to Last (BTL), a medical technology company, aimed at exposing Nigerian physiotherapists to emerging rehabilitation technologies while strengthening regulatory compliance.