Nigeria Launches Nationwide Rehabilitation Services Initiative

The Federal Government of Nigeria has initiated a nationwide rollout of integrated rehabilitation services across primary health care centers, with the launch taking place at Doya Primary Health Care Centre in Bauchi State. This program aims to provide physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and audiological rehabilitation services to millions of Nigerians, particularly those living with disabilities, older adults, trauma survivors, and individuals with non-communicable diseases requiring long-term functional support.

Coordinated by Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Minister of Health, the initiative is part of the government's strategy to strengthen primary healthcare and achieve universal health coverage under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.

The program complements Nigeria's health sector investments and addresses the shortage of rehabilitation professionals, with only 5,000 licensed physiotherapists available for approximately 34,000 primary health care centers. The government plans to implement the World Health Organization's Rehabilitation 2030 initiative and establish a national rehabilitation policy framework by November 2024.