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From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
President Bola Tinubu, National Assembly, and 36 state governors in Nigeria have been called upon to ensure investment of adequate resources and time in researching traditional medicine in the country, towards promoting its use to the wider population, and building collaborations with modern Western medicine.
The call was made by critical stakeholders across different fields, including plant sciences, pharmacognosy, and indigenous knowledge, at the International Conference Hall of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), during the celebration of this year’s African Traditional Medicine Day, with the theme: ‘Traditional Medicine in Africa: Progress Towards Achieving Sustainable Health and Economic Development in Africa’, which is being marked every August 31st.
According to them, the step would reinforce traditional medicine as an essential and positive element of African culture, and that increased investment in African Traditional medicine would help to develop plant-derived drugs, leading to sustainable economic growth and better health and wellness for Africans.
The guest speaker, Prof (Mrs) Taiwo Fashola, from University of Ibadan, emphasised that the country needs to urgently and adequately fund the development of plant-derived drugs to enhance Nigeria’s economic growth.
She emphasised the availability of research publications and resources for developing herbal remedies, as well as the global market value for herbal medicine, which, she said, has risen to billions of United States Dollars in recent decade.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Sharafadeen Alli, from Oyo South in the National Assembly, and Chairman Senate Committee on Environment, Senator Yunus Akintunde, representing Oyo Central, said they are committed to supporting research into forestry and traditional medicine for economic development.
Alli, who spoke on behalf of the duo, said: “There should be a synergy between the practitioners of traditional medicine and orthodox medicine” and added “Research should also be done on causes and symptoms of ailments before prescriptions are done.”
The Director-General, FRIN, Prof Zacharia Yaduma, who was represented by Prof Akinyemi Oladapo, said the event would strengthen collaborations among universities, agencies and others involved in production and standardisation of medicinal plants, research and development, nationally and internationally.
The convener of the programme, Dr. Ibrahim Lawal, who is the Director, Biomedical Research Centre, FRIN, said: “You can’t take African traditional medicine out of the African culture. We need to let Africa and the world know that traditional medicine in Africa is still intact. It is still something we need to reckon with because it has so many efficacies in it that can treat and manage so many ailments.”
The President of the Ibadan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Bamidele Samson urged Nigerians to place enormous importance and value in what they have. He said: “We need to place enormous importance and values on what we have. The African traditional religion practitioners place values on herbs and they are working for them. The Christians value the Bible and their prayers are being answered. The Muslims value the Quran, and their prayers are being answered. Yoruba does not value Yoruba again. They don’t value our language. They can hear but did not understand. The fact thy they were told about it, and they did not accept, led us to where we are today. We should value what we have.”
