By Sade Adewale, Ondo

Pharmacist Mrs Zainab U. Shariff has highlighted the need for value addition to the existing medicinal plants in Nigeria to make them exportable.

This was disclosed during the African Traditional Medicine Day, organised by the Centre for Herbal Medicine and Drug Discovery at the TETFund Building, University of Medical Sciences, Laje Campus, Ondo, in a paper titled “Development and Promotion of Indigenous Medicinal Plants to Facilitate Universal Healthcare in Nigeria.”

Shariff further explained how Nigeria can tap into the global market for medicinal plants, estimated at around $100 billion, which could potentially be worth about $5 trillion by 2050.

According to her, “Nigeria is not currently a significant exporter of medicinal plants despite its large biodiversity.” However, she noted that all hope is not lost if the nation can identify hectares of land for the cultivation of medicinal plants, produce NAFDAC-listed herbal medicines, phytomedicines, and nutraceuticals, market these products to various outlets to support further research, strengthen research collaborations with relevant stakeholders, and implement BSc, Master’s, and PhD programmes in Herbal Medicine, among other measures.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adesegun Fatusi, while speaking at the event, said the university is already taking the lead in one of the suggested ways forward, particularly in the implementation of a PgD programme in Herbal Medicine.

He revealed that “as part of the outcomes of the institution’s exposure to the benefits of herbal medicine, the university has established a Department of Complementary Alternative Medicine, which will begin a B.Sc. programme in October 2024.”

The Acting Director of the Centre for Herbal Medicine and Drug Discovery, Dr Oghale Ovuakporie-Uvo, in her welcome address, reinforced the university’s commitment to the exploration of herbal medicine to facilitate universal healthcare. She stated that “an understanding of the empirical basis and rational application of Indigenous traditional medicine, particularly folk and traditional medicinal practices based on the use of plants and plant extracts (herbalism), is crucial for holistic health in the African context.”