The Medical Rehabilitation Therapists (Registration) Board of Nigeria has commenced moves to regulate postgraduate clinical specialisation in physiotherapy, with 46 practitioners undergoing specialised training in manual therapy as part of efforts to strengthen rehabilitation services in the country.
The initiative, being implemented in partnership with the Manual Therapy Foundation of India and the Foundation for Empowering Persons with Disabilities, is designed to develop local expertise and establish a network of trainers who will transfer specialised skills to physiotherapists across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the MRTB, Prof. Rufai Ahmad, disclosed this at a train-the-trainers workshop on manual therapy held in Abuja on Tuesday.
Ahmad said the initiative was part of the board’s efforts to establish regulated and coordinated postgraduate clinical specialisation in physiotherapy and other medical rehabilitation professions in Nigeria.
He explained that although the board had developed standards for undergraduate training over the years, there had been no corresponding framework for postgraduate clinical specialisation until recently.
According to him, the board has developed a draft standard for postgraduate clinical specialisation as part of efforts to improve professional competence and ensure that practitioners acquire the specialised skills required 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 explained that consultations with stakeholders during the development of the standards identified areas where Nigerian physiotherapists required 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 registrar described manual therapy as an important area of physiotherapy that focuses on identifying and treating the underlying causes of movement-related disorders rather than merely managing symptoms.
“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 said the training was designed to produce trainers from different states who would subsequently replicate the knowledge and skills among other practitioners.
He added that the approach would gradually expand access to specialised training and improve rehabilitation services beyond major cities.
The registrar said the initiative was also timely as Nigeria was implementing the World Health Organisation’s Rehabilitation 2030 initiative, which seeks to strengthen rehabilitation services and integrate them into health systems.
In his remarks, Mohanty said he was pleased to bring 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 across the world, adding that professional skills development was essential to improving healthcare delivery and ensuring that patients received quality treatment irrespective of their location.
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“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 relevant in addressing mechanical problems affecting the spine, joints and muscles, noting that he had observed an increase in cases of neck pain, back pain, joint problems and muscle disorders, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic.
He argued that mechanical dysfunctions required appropriate mechanical interventions rather than reliance 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 appropriate clinical assessment and specialised treatment techniques rather than depending solely on analgesics.
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 and enthusiasm, saying the training would combine practical demonstrations, repeated exercises and other teaching methods to ensure that they acquired the necessary competencies.
He also pledged continued professional support to 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-opener, saying it had exposed participants to new manipulation and mobilisation techniques that could improve patient care.
She said one of the major lessons from the programme was the introduction to recent manual therapy techniques developed by the World Health Organisation.
Abdulaziz explained that the training was particularly relevant because some patients required manual therapy alongside conventional exercise-based treatment to achieve better and sustained recovery.
“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,” she said.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of 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 calls on countries to strengthen rehabilitation services and make them accessible to people who need them at all stages of life.
In Nigeria, strengthening the rehabilitation workforce, improving professional training and expanding access to specialised care remain important to addressing gaps in service delivery, particularly at the primary healthcare and community levels.
