Lagos, Ogun explore partnership to promote safer traditional medicine practices
By Osho Olatomiwa
Lagos and Ogun states are exploring closer regulatory cooperation to strengthen standards, improve monitoring of practitioners and promote safer traditional medicine practices.
The proposed partnership emerged during a working visit by the Ogun State Alternative Medicine Board to the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board to understudy its regulatory framework and institutional operations.
Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Board, Babatunde Adele, said the agency was willing to share its experience with Ogun State, disclosing that it had registered 9,645 active traditional medicine practitioners since its establishment in 1980.
He explained that the Board’s responsibilities extended beyond practitioner registration to include professional training, monitoring and enforcement of a code of conduct aimed at promoting accountability and curbing unregulated practice.
Adele also highlighted plans to expand traditional medicine services through the establishment of a botanical garden in Epe, additional clinics and laboratories, as well as zonal offices to improve access to regulatory services.
Ogun State Alternative Medicine Board’s Executive Secretary and Registrar, Dr. Charles Erinle, said the visit was designed to provide practical insights into Lagos’ administrative and regulatory systems for possible adoption in Ogun State.
Also speaking, a former member of the Lagos Board, Dr. Tajudeen Olusesi, emphasised the importance of effective data management and periodic licence renewals in identifying active practitioners and strengthening regulatory oversight.
Both delegations expressed optimism that sustained cooperation would improve professional standards, encourage research and documentation, and promote safer traditional medicine practices while preserving indigenous knowledge.
