Nigeria Faces Acute Shortage of Licensed Physiotherapists

Moham Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, expressed alarm over the significant shortage of licensed physiotherapists in Nigeria during the launch of an integrated rehabilitation service for primary health care in Bauchi. He noted that Nigeria has approximately 34,000 primary health care centers but only 5,000 licensed physiotherapists, indicating a critical deficit in the rehabilitation workforce.

Pate warned that this shortage threatens efforts to integrate rehabilitation services into primary healthcare nationwide. He called for bold reforms to address the workforce gap and urged the Nigerian Rehabilitation Therapist Board to review its regulatory framework.

Additionally, he emphasized the need for collaboration among various rehabilitation professionals to enhance service delivery. Pate also disclosed plans to pursue additional funding to replicate successful rehabilitation models across the country, aiming to improve access to rehabilitation services for millions of Nigerians and promote better quality of life.