The Federal Government said it is currently working towards the review of the Nigeria Herbal Pharmacopoeia and the Traditional Medicine Policy.
It disclosed that these are those measures aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s resources for the delivery of quality, efficacious and safe traditional medicine products.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora at Ministerial briefing on Monday on the Occasion of the 2021 African Traditional Medicine(ATM) Commemoration said the federal government also have in place an expert committee for the setting up of Traditional, Complementary & Alternative Medicine Institute to serve for the training of professionals in this sector.
Mamora noted that the series of events in the world during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic calls for the need to look inwards and consider local production of medicines as necessary for national security and attainment of Universal Health Coverage.
According to Mamora, the Federal Ministry of Health is working in collaboration with international organizations and relevant MDA’s to ensure the discovery of effective remedies against COVID-19 and other diseases from the rich and extensive flora of the country.
“Availability of ten (10) Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) on African Traditional Medicine, developed by the Standards Organization of Nigeria.”
“The Standards are reference documents to be utilized by Traditional Medicine Practitioners, Researchers, Students, Manufacturers of herbal medicinal products etc. aimed at providing safe, quality and efficacious traditional medicines for local consumption and export”.
“The Standards could be accessed by the public at SON offices across the country.
I want to appreciate all our stakeholders for their contribution in the development of Traditional Medicine and to give assurance that the Ministry is committed to supporting traditional medicine development.”
“Once again I want to charge all of you to work hard towards discovering a local solution to the COVID-19 pandemic that is threatening the global community.”
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Mamman Mahmuda said Traditional medicine practice preceded the use of conventional medicine in all parts of the world, Nigeria inclusive.
“It is estimated that about 80% of the population that live in the rural communities utilize traditional medicine.
“Nigeria is blessed with about 8,000 medicinal plants yet to be utilized in the area of research, development and value addition”.
“There is therefore the need to look inwards to research and develop our medicinal plants for the benefit of all.”
“The Federal Ministry of Health has intervened in several ways in order to develop, promote and institutionalize Traditional Medicine.”
“We are also working on the establishment of a wellbeing Centre in the Ministry to serve the public and the economic benefit of traditional medicine is the provision of jobs to our unemployed youths in the area of conservation, cultivation and harvesting of medicinal plants as this will help reduce youth restiveness.”
