NIGERIA MOVES TO REGULATE POSTGRADUATE SPECIALISATION IN PHYSIOTHERAPY

By: Hammad Fasasi

The Medical Rehabilitation Therapists (Registration) Board of Nigeria (MRTB) has begun efforts to regulate postgraduate clinical specialisation in physiotherapy, with 46 practitioners undergoing specialised training in manual therapy to improve rehabilitation services across the country.

The initiative, organised in partnership with the Manual Therapy Foundation of India and the Foundation for Empowering Persons with Disabilities, aims to build local expertise and establish a network of trainers who will extend specialised skills to physiotherapists across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of MRTB, Prof. Rufai Ahmad, disclosed this during a train-the-trainers workshop on manual therapy held in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ahmad said the programme was part of the board’s efforts to introduce a regulated and coordinated framework for postgraduate clinical specialisation in physiotherapy and other medical rehabilitation professions in Nigeria.

He explained that although the board had established standards for undergraduate training over the years, there had previously been no corresponding framework for postgraduate clinical specialisation.

According to him, the board recently developed a draft standard for postgraduate specialisation to strengthen professional competence and ensure practitioners acquire the necessary skills to deliver quality healthcare.

He said, “Over 10,000 physiotherapists have been registered through the regulation of the practice of the undergraduate programme.

“However, the board has not developed for many years a standard for postgraduate clinical specialisation. Recently, the board developed a draft for that, and this is something that the board is working towards ensuring that there is regulated and coordinated specialisation in Nigeria.”

Ahmad added that consultations with stakeholders during the development of the proposed standards revealed areas where Nigerian physiotherapists needed additional expertise and international collaboration.

He said the Foundation for Empowering Persons with Disabilities facilitated the partnership with the Manual Therapy Foundation of India, led by its president and visiting trainer, Prof. Umasankar Mohanty.

The MRTB registrar described manual therapy as an important aspect of physiotherapy that focuses on identifying and treating the underlying causes of movement-related disorders rather than merely managing their symptoms.

He stressed that physiotherapists were increasingly expected to assess patients’ movements and posture to identify the root causes of their conditions and provide appropriate treatment.

“The days of treating symptoms alone are gone. Physiotherapists are expected to assess the patient’s movement and posture to be able to identify the source of the patient’s problem, so that rather than treating symptoms that make the patients continue to come, you will treat the source,” he said.

Ahmad explained that the training was designed to produce specialists from different states who would subsequently share their knowledge and skills with other practitioners.

He noted that the train-the-trainers approach would gradually expand access to specialised training and improve rehabilitation services beyond major cities.

He added that the initiative was timely as Nigeria was implementing the World Health Organisation’s Rehabilitation 2030 initiative, which seeks to strengthen rehabilitation services and integrate them into national healthcare systems.

Speaking at the workshop, Mohanty expressed delight at bringing the training to Nigeria, describing it as his first professional training engagement in an African country.

He said he had trained more than 40,000 physiotherapists worldwide, stressing that continuous professional development was essential to improving healthcare delivery and ensuring patients received quality treatment regardless of their location.

“I have trained more than 40,000 physiotherapists across the globe. This is the first African country, Nigeria. I’m coming with an invitation from MRTB. I’m very glad,” he said.

Mohanty explained that manual therapy was particularly useful in treating mechanical problems affecting the spine, joints and muscles.

He observed that cases of neck pain, back pain, joint problems and muscle disorders had increased, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to him, mechanical dysfunctions require appropriate physical interventions rather than relying solely on medications and painkillers.

“Because if it is a mechanical dysfunction, it has to be corrected by a mechanical method only. It cannot be corrected by medications,” he said.

Using disc prolapse as an example, Mohanty explained that pain resulting from mechanical problems required proper clinical assessment and specialised treatment techniques rather than exclusive reliance on painkillers.

He said the workshop would expose participants to practical techniques covering different sections of the spine, including the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions, as well as the pelvic complex.

Mohanty commended the 46 participants for their commitment, noting that the training would combine practical demonstrations, repeated exercises and other teaching methods to ensure they acquired the required competencies.

He also pledged continued professional support for Nigeria through the foundation’s international network.

Also speaking, Dr Habiba Abdulaziz of the African Medical Centre of Excellence described the training as an eye-opening experience, saying it had introduced participants to new manipulation and mobilisation techniques that could improve patient care.

She said one of the major takeaways from the programme was exposure to recent manual therapy techniques developed by the World Health Organisation.

Abdulaziz noted that the training was particularly important because some patients required manual therapy alongside conventional exercise-based treatment to achieve better and sustained recovery.

She said, “It has been an eye-opener, really. One of the things I will be taking away is the manipulation and mobilisation techniques. We learnt about very recent techniques used for manipulation that have been developed by the WHO.

“In my practice, we are seeing more patients who cannot depend on exercise therapy alone. Some also need manual therapy, particularly to support prolonged recovery. So, it has been a very good experience.”

The initiative comes amid growing recognition of rehabilitation as an essential component of universal health coverage, particularly for people living with disabilities, injuries, chronic pain and other conditions affecting movement and physical functioning.

The WHO’s Rehabilitation 2030 initiative encourages countries to strengthen rehabilitation services and ensure they are accessible to people who need them at every stage of life.

In Nigeria, improving the rehabilitation workforce, strengthening professional training and expanding access to specialised care remain critical to addressing gaps in healthcare delivery, particularly at the primary healthcare and community levels.