NIPRD leads federal drive to commercialise herbal medicines
The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched a national initiative to harness, regulate, and commercialise herbal medicines, with the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) at the forefront of the effort.
NIPRD’s Director-General, Dr. Obi Adigwe, revealed the development in an interview on Sunday, explaining that a ministerial committee has been established to oversee the process. The committee will focus on the advancement of phytomedicines—traditional herbal or botanical remedies widely used by Nigerians for healthcare.
Adigwe noted that between 70 and 75 percent of Nigerians depend on traditional remedies like agbo, magani, and ogwu igbo, yet the sector has long faced institutional neglect. He said the current administration is now taking “bold, concrete steps” to mainstream herbal medicine and unlock its full potential.
He pointed to NIPRD’s previous achievements, including the development of a sickle cell treatment from local plants and the world’s first scientific evaluation of Madagascar’s COVID Organics herbal product during the pandemic.
The newly formed committee comprises representatives from academia, the pharmaceutical industry, traditional medicine practitioners, government agencies, and members of the diaspora. Adigwe added that this broad-based approach supports President Bola Tinubu’s Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC).
He also appealed to wealthy Nigerians to invest in scientific research and urged citizens to take part in a national questionnaire on the NIPRD website, aimed at shaping the future of herbal medicine in Nigeria.
