Biomedical Engineering Education and Training in Nigeria

Abstract

In response to the desire to continually enhance quality of medical services and health care delivery using up to date medical technologies, there is increased demand for biomedical engineering professionals and related sciences world wide to effect these technologies. This requires a properly planned manpower development for these professionals.Biomedical engineering education is the development of knowledge of engineering, biology and medicine for use in the integration of the engineering sciences with the biomedical science and clinical practice to improve human health. while biomedical engineering training is the development of skills to enable one to improve human health through his/her activities in biomedical engineering.The commencement of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in biomedical engineering by the Federal University of Technology, Owerri leading to the award of Bachelor of Technology. Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in several areas of biomedical engineering marked the beginning of the turning point of biomedical engineering education in Nigeria.Current national efforts by Nigerian Institute for Biomedical Engineering (NIBE) to evolve standard and enduring biomedical engineering training, in Nigeria especially given its continuing professional development programmes is a worthy venture for the development of biomedical engineering training in Nigeria.However, Government and Corporate bodies have a lot of roles to play in biomedical engineering education and training in Nigeria. This can be done by way of placing cash prices, scholarships and awards for research contributions; fellowships and grants for specific projects and training researches; sponsorships of individuals to national and international conferences; creation of special research centres within elected institutions; loans and subsidies for individual scientists on selected biomedical problem or research project.