- boost capacity of biomedical engineers
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has called on all healthcare institutions across Nigeria to conduct regular audits and maintenance of medical equipment, emphasizing that such measures are vital to improving service delivery and patient outcomes.
This call was made during the opening ceremony of a five-day Capacity Building Workshop for Biomedical Engineers at the National Hospital, on Tuesday in Abuja, organized by Healthy Living Communications Limited and, College of Biomedical Engineering and Technology CBET; in partnership with the Hospital Services Department, Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare.
The Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, represented by his Special Assistant, Dr. Babatunde Akinyemi, speaking at the event, stressed that biomedical engineers play a pivotal role in ensuring the optimal functioning of medical devices, noting that even the most advanced machines remain underutilized or dysfunctional without skilled personnel to maintain them.
“This workshop seeks to reawaken the professional consciousness of our biomedical engineers, refresh their technical skills, and reposition them to safeguard our expanding stock of health assets,” the Honourable Minister asserted.
He highlighted several strategic initiatives by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, including upgrading teaching facilities at the five Federal Teaching Hospitals that host Schools of Biomedical Engineering—University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) and, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).
The Ministry, he further stated, has also launched a National Biomedical Equipment Audit and is developing a National Biomedical Equipment Maintenance Framework to ensure preventive maintenance schedules are adopted in Federal Tertiary hospitals and Medical Centres nationwide.
Speaking earlier, Chief Emmanuel Oriakhi, Project Director Health Living Communications Limited, welcomed participants, noting that many hospitals have valuable equipment left unused or poorly maintained.
He praised the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare commitment to upgrading biomedical engineering practice, stressing, the program would refresh technical staff, safeguard investments in hospital infrastructure, and promote a culture of maintenance.
He emphasized that boosting capacity of biomedical engineers is now highly intentional in view of the massive infrastructural development in the health sector under the present administration; citing the upliftment of standards in equipment and personnel in healthcare facilities across the country.
This achievement, he further affirmed, is yielding fruits in gradually making Nigeria a medical tourism destination.
Representing the Director of Hospital Services Department FMoHSW; Dame Francisca Okafor, Director of Regulatory and Professional Schools Division, reiterated that the workshop was a strategic initiative by the Ministry to strengthen the maintenance and performance of medical equipment, ensuring that health sector investments by the present administration deliver sustainable results for the benefit of Nigerians.
Dr. Kennedy Ejeta, Registrar of CBET, also welcomed participants, emphasizing that the training is designed to equip biomedical engineers with cutting-edge skills to drive healthcare innovation and prepare hospitals for future challenges. He said the program would foster collaboration and enhance service delivery across Nigeria’s healthcare sector.
Other notable speakers included the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital Abuja, Professor Mohammed Mahmood, the Chief Trainer Engineer Dr. Awafung Emmanuel Adie and Managing Directors of medical equipment companies present.
Delivering goodwill messages, representing Country Director FHI 360, Engineer Eberechi Ndukwe-Bello highlighted the importance of bridging the gap between having equipment and operating it effectively.
She commended the training program for equipping biomedical engineers with the knowledge and protective tools needed to manage critical devices, including liquid oxygen tanks and oxygen analyzers, which are essential for patient care.
The workshop brings together biomedical engineers from federal, state, and private health institutions to engage in hands-on demonstrations, theoretical sessions, and maintenance modules. Participants are expected to return to their institutions as change agents capable of reducing equipment downtime, promoting cost-effective maintenance culture, and driving local innovations.
Additionally, the Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to modernizing health infrastructure, supporting professionalism, and strengthening Nigeria’s health system through strategic investments, technical training, and partnerships with international and local stakeholders.
