Federal Government has allocated funds for the establishment of a 3D-printed prosthetics training centre at the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board (MRTB) in Abuja, RaveNewsOnline reports.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at the 3D-Printed Prosthetics Technology Showcase.
Salako said the centre would promote professional training, technology transfer and capacity development in prosthetics and orthotics services.
He said the initiative formed part of the government’s efforts to modernise rehabilitation services, improve treatment outcomes and expand access to assistive technology for persons with disabilities and amputees.
According to him, the project, implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) with funding from the Government of Japan, demonstrates the importance of international partnerships in addressing rehabilitation needs, particularly among landmine victims and other amputees.
The minister said equipment provided under the project included 3D printers, scanners, testing devices, replacement components and specialised printing consumables.
He noted that people requiring prosthetic devices often faced high costs, long distances to treatment centres, inadequate numbers of skilled professionals and lengthy production processes.
These challenges, he said, could limit their mobility, education, employment opportunities and participation in community life.
Salako explained that digital scanning, computer-aided design and 3D printing could improve the consistency of prosthetic devices, reduce production time and potentially lower costs.
He, however, stressed that technology must complement professional assessment, proper fitting, patient education, follow-up care and maintenance.
The Registrar of MRTB, Prof. Rufai Ahmad, said adopting 3D-printed prosthetics technology would strengthen rehabilitation services, build local technical capacity and improve access to quality prosthetic care.
Ahmad described the showcase as a significant step in implementing the UNIDO project, adding that it would facilitate technology transfer, professional training and institutional development.
He said the Board would collaborate with relevant institutions and stakeholders to ensure compliance with professional standards and develop a competent workforce capable of using the technology safely.
The registrar emphasised that sustaining the initiative would require continuous training, equipment maintenance, replacement parts, printing materials, technical support and adequate funding.
He also called for rehabilitation services to be affordable, accessible and respectful of the needs of persons with disabilities, urging stakeholders to involve service users and their families in decisions concerning service delivery.
Speaking at the event, UNIDO Regional Director and Representative in Nigeria, Mr Philbert Johnson, said the technology transferred from Japan was helping to provide amputees with faster, more precise and affordable artificial limbs.
Johnson said 700 applicants, comprising 400 amputees in Maiduguri and 300 in Kano, were recorded within two weeks of mobilisation, indicating significant demand for prosthetic services.
He said 200 amputees were selected to receive prostheses, with 30 already receiving artificial limbs during the training phase, while arrangements were ongoing for the remaining 170.
According to him, 20 Nigerian prosthetists and orthotists had been selected for a Training of Trainers programme delivered by Japanese experts in collaboration with Instalimb and the Nigerian Government through MRTB.
Johnson said the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Kano, had been equipped with the technology.
He added that the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, would train 500 prosthetists and orthotists annually in the use of digital equipment.
The UNIDO representative said MRTB would serve as a centre for continuing professional development, regulation and national standards, noting that more than 1,000 professionals were awaiting training.
He identified the project’s major components as providing quality prostheses through seven partners across northern and southern Nigeria and strengthening the wider prosthetics ecosystem through private-sector participation, curriculum development, standards and continuing professional development.
Johnson urged Nigerian trainees to take ownership of the technology and called for investments in local supply chains, materials and services to expand the model across Nigeria and other African countries.
