Christy Anyanwu
Olasumbo Ayodele is a frontline Nigerian herbal medicine practitioner. Popularly known as Quincy, the entrepreneur, herbal slimming and skin care expert in this interview spoke about COVID-19 and herbals, the Madagascar solution, her lifestyle among others.
What is your take on Nigeria’s bid to get the Madagascar herbal solution for COVID-19?
My Analysis of Madagascar’s cure shows it contains dongoyaro and lemon grass, which are anti fever, anti malaria; garlic – antibiotic; pawpaw leaf – anti constipation and liver tonic; lime – alkaline and vitamin C; guava leaf and mango leaf are also anti-fever. Nothing is in the treatment for cough and shortness of breath, or other respiratory complications that COVID-19 has presented.
My take on the above is that it could be given as preventative and at the onset of symptom. As you can see, there is no herb for cough in it. I know there are medicinal herbs in Nigeria with anti viral and anti inflammatory properties that show promising signs of beating COVID-19. If only Nigeria could add these herbs, with proper scientific analysis and appropriate dosage, then we can boast of beating the entire world to the cure of COVID-19.
However, this is a good recipe for helping with recovery from an upper respiratory illness. It’s not a cure and we don’t have the exact dosage. So, results can vary from person to person depending on the combination. It isn’t obviously a cure but rather a symptom relief to be applied in addition to proper medical attention (e.g. oxygen assistance and breathing treatments if necessary).
The mixture can also be used as a supplement to help boost immunity, thereby reducing the risk of contracting URI (upper respiratory infection) such as COVID-19. But to call it a cure, without proper evidence based research would be unprofessional of me.
I am a WHO expert on development of African traditional medicine and the WHO has advocated for integration and collaboration of the two medicine tracks. For that reason, I will not say use only herbs and don’t go to the hospital if you are having problems breathing, neither will I say don’t take preventative measures like wearing a mask or using alcohol based hand sanitizer.
We must do whatever is necessary and put heads together to ensure the health of our country. Nigeria is full of biodiversity and we definitely have a plethora of medicinal plants if well studied and tested, would not only provide a COVID-19 treatment but even treatment for other viral illnesses including HIV.
As a naturopathic medical practitioner both in Nigeria and the USA, my daughter and I are already talking with some of our manufacturers there about a formula. They have started working on it and result will come out by end of the month.
I pray we beat this virus with the entire arsenal God has put in our hands.
Do Nigerian herbal practitioners have what it takes to come up with a cure for COVID-19?
Nigerian herbal practitioners have all it takes to treat COVID-19. We have potent herbal medicines to treat malaria, fever and all sorts of cough including pneumonia, as those are the symptoms that COVID-19 has presented.
There are medicinal plants in Nigeria that are more potent than any other plants in the world because of the environmental conditions affecting our medicinal plants positively like the sun and the rains. We also have very knowledgeable herbal practitioners here in Nigeria as well.
Herbal medicine in Nigeria was nothing to reckon with years back, how is the acceptance today?
Herbal medicine in Nigeria was nothing to reckon with years back. In the past, before I started talking about medicinal properties, benefits and the scientific potency of herbal medicine, people were not recognizing herbal medicine because mainly of religious beliefs. People used to think of herbal medicine as fetish and it was stigmatized as such.
People called you names at the beginning of Quincy Herbals; do you feel like quitting the business then?
How can I ever forget how I was called all sorts of names to discourage me?
I was called all sorts of names when I started talking about the importance and efficacy of medicinal plants back in the days in the 90s. In those days, it was a taboo to talk about herbs. I was stigmatized.
I remember when I started my natural weight loss business (Quincy herbal slimmers) in Nigeria way back in the mid 90s, it was a very difficult period of my life in that I am a devout Christian in the Redeemed Christian Church of God and yet I was talking about healing with herbs. But the word of God that says, “my people perish for lack of knowledge” kept me going. So I did not allow the stigma to distract or discourage me. I kept on talking and practicing with natural herbs and people were being healed.
God didn’t allow all that to discourage me, rather the almighty God of nature Himself used the media to advertise the works of my hands and the wonders and medicinal benefits of nature. I went all out through the media to keep raising awareness, proving the efficacy and potency of medicinal plants in our country. Separating healing using medicinal plants from healing with fetish traditional beliefs. I went all out proving that herbal medicines have doses and they are purely for medicinal and healing purposes.
Thanks to NTA for featuring me talking and proving all these on weekly basis for several years on aerobics with Quincy, Healthy living with Quincy, One on One, Good Morning Africa, Today’s Woman with Quincy, etc.
The print media like The Sun, Punch, Guardian, Ovation, City People et all also came out to promote the works of my hands using natural herbs for healing.
Then the almighty God of nature Himself made WHO to pronounce that other medicines have failed the world and they began to look into the development of the ‘relegated’ herbal medicine and I was appointed by WHO as an expert committee member on the development of African Traditional Medicine Practice, Practitioners and Products.
During this pandemic, what lessons has life taught you as a person?
If life is teaching me anything in these past weeks, it is humility that the virus came with. Upon all the economic, military and technological might of nations, this very small microbe has humbled the world.
Life has taught me to also to be persistent and consistent with my passion, like my belief in the efficacy of herbal medicine. Life has taught me not to be discouraged and not to be distracted in the pursuit of whatever I believe in.
Everyone has now finally and forcefully accepted the efficacy of natural herbs, which I have persistently been preaching to Nigerians for over 23 years. We have all now been forced to go back to nature. Thanks to COVID-19. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
What’s the secret of your ageless look?
Eating healthy and natural foods like a lot of vegetables and fruits.
Getting enough sleep. Regular exercises. Drinking a lot of water and positive thinking. I use all natural products on my skin made by my company Quincy Herbals. I love exfoliating my skin a lot by removing dead skin cells to reduce and eliminating the appearance of wrinkles. I use our sunscreen and I avoid the sun as much as possible.
Many would want you to confirm that you are a happy grandmother
I am a mother of three wonderful, obedient, hardworking and God-fearing children – Tobi, Tola and Temi. The wife of a supportive, caring and accomplished Engineer John Oladipo Ayodele – the Head of Ibadan Electric Distribution company and a grandmother of four very active grandchildren
How do you unwind?
I unwind by spending time in the presence of God, praising, worshiping, praying and studying the word of God. I also enjoy swimming with my grandchildren.
Where is your favorite holiday destination and why?
America is my favorite destination for holiday because I enjoy cruising on the Caribbean waters from there.