Amid rising global health inequities and dependence on foreign pharmaceuticals, Nigeria is quietly charting a bold, locally-driven path to healing. At the forefront is the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), which has recently birthed 23 scientifically validated traditional remedies. Grounded in ancestral knowledge and refined through scientific rigour, this transformation heralds a future where home-grown remedies—not foreign fixes—shape how Nigerians restore wellness, build resilience and assert sovereignty over their healthcare narrative, reports Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF
In an age dominated by innovation and rapid-fire biotech breakthroughs—where medicines are engineered in glass-walled laboratories and prescriptions often guided by algorithms—Nigeria is silently crafting a more grounded narrative: one that begins in the soil, winds through roots and leaves, and draws from centuries of inherited healing wisdom. This is not nostalgia. It is renewal. At the heart of this revival is the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), a relatively young yet increasingly influential government institution that has long operated beneath the radar; its ambitions often stymied by years of chronic underfunding. Now, it emerges boldly as a beacon of health innovation rooted in the country’s rich medicinal heritage.
On the second anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the agency unveiled something extraordinary: 23 newly developed traditional medicine products. These remedies, crafted with meticulous care and scientific rigour, address a diverse range of health challenges—from the scourge of diarrhoea and the persistent discomfort of peptic ulcers to the chronic battle against hepatitis B and diabetes, alongside formulations aimed at immune support and the natural process of aging. Each product embodies a fusion of ancestral knowledge and cutting-edge research, promising a fresh chapter in Nigeria’s healthcare narrative.
While the formal unveiling of these ground-breaking medicines is scheduled for a forthcoming ceremony, it is expected to receive the endorsement of President Tinubu—a gesture that would mark a watershed moment in the integration of traditional medicine into Nigeria’s national health agenda. This anticipated endorsement not only lends political weight to the agency’s work but also signals a broader shift in how Nigerians may begin to view and access healthcare—one that blends scientific advancement with indigenous wisdom. More than a symbolic nod, the development underscores Nigeria’s growing capacity for innovation while reaffirming the timeless relevance of nature’s pharmacy in addressing today’s myriad medical challenges.
For Prof Martins Emeje, the Director-General of NNMDA and a distinguished scholar of drug delivery and nanomedicine, this is more than institutional success. It is the rebirth of a national identity. “We didn’t just meet our target for the year,” he said with quiet pride at the agency’s public accountability event in Lagos. “We surpassed it. We promised 11 new products, but we delivered 23. That tells you the kind of transformation happening here.”
While the world often looks to the West for medical marvels, the African continent has long possessed its own pharmacy—sprawling forests, sacred groves, riverbanks, and even beneath the surface of the soil. From the spine of a fish to the bitterness of a tree bark, traditional medicine in Nigeria has been both a sanctuary and a science, passed down in oral traditions that have survived conquest and modernity. What NNMDA is doing now is not merely validating these remedies—it is refining them. Through the lens of pharmacology, nanotechnology and standardisation, the agency is crafting medicines that marry the authenticity of indigenous knowledge with the rigor of global science.
Emeje puts it succinctly: “We develop medicine from the soil, from plants, from water, from animals—even insects. One of our most expensive medicines comes from the spine of a fish.” The agency’s anti-diarrhoea remedy, created through nanotechnology from a native plant, recently clinched first prize at a national scientific conference. The formulation is so promising that the National Assembly allocated funds in the 2025 budget to advance its development. Diarrhoea is one of the leading killers of children in Nigeria, accounting for thousands of avoidable deaths annually. For Emeje and his team, this is personal. “That product is very close to our hearts. We are emotional about it—not just because we created it, but because of the lives it can save,” he said. So too with the peptic ulcer remedy. Or the hepatitis B formulation. Or the immune-boosting and anti-aging products that the agency began rolling out last year. These are not just formulations—they are lifelines, created with the needs of everyday Nigerians in mind. In rural villages where pharmacies are hours away, and in urban centres where imported drugs are too expensive for most, these products could be the difference between dignity and despair.
The unveiling of 23 new natural medicine products isn’t merely a scientific achievement—it is the quiet stirrings of a movement. These innovations span a rich spectrum of therapeutic needs, each one rooted in centuries of indigenous knowledge and refined by cutting-edge research. Among them is a peptic ulcer remedy crafted from plants, designed to offer relief without the harsh side effects of conventional antacids. For hepatitis B, a disease long underserved by accessible treatments, researchers have turned to potent indigenous herbs with broad-spectrum potential.
The range also includes a sickle cell solution formulated to work in tandem with conventional therapies, and a line of diabetes management supplements aimed at regulating blood sugar and supporting metabolic health. Immune boosters and anti-aging tonics—drawn from the adaptogenic wealth of African botanicals—speak to both preventive care and vitality. Perhaps most practically, the agency has introduced a malaria prevention kit that blends Amarus herbal tea with a mosquito-repellent cream derived entirely from local plants. Each product is more than a remedy; it is a declaration that Nigeria’s health future can be cultivated from its own soil.
In March 2024, NNMDA also quietly stepped into a new chapter in its history, achieving a significant milestone that further cements its role at the crossroads of indigenous wisdom and modern science. At a public event held at the agency’s Lagos headquarters and attended by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, the agency unveiled its first set of herbal medicines developed in solid oral dosage forms—a major leap forward for a government agency once relegated to the margins of Nigeria’s health discourse. Among the innovations were medicines targeting diabetes, sickle cell disease, upper respiratory tract infections, and age-related immune decline. Developed from indigenous plants and natural compounds, the products represent a paradigm shift—offering affordable, locally sourced alternatives to imported pharmaceuticals. These formulations are not just a testament to the rich pharmacopeia found within Nigeria’s biodiversity, but also an embodiment of what is possible when traditional knowledge is refined through the rigour of scientific research.
The Minister hailed the breakthrough as evidence of the untapped potential lying within Nigeria’s natural environment, emphasising the importance of translating such scientific achievements into commercially viable health solutions. According to him, the future of Nigeria’s health sector rests in the country’s ability to harness local knowledge systems to improve health outcomes and stimulate job creation. What was once an obscure agency has now become a national model for research-driven impact. With plans underway to launch even more products, the NNMDA is making a compelling case for the revival—and mainstreaming—of traditional medicine.
Although established in 1997, NNMDA is only now stepping into its full potential. Under dynamic new leadership, the agency has evolved into a beacon of public-sector innovation—reigniting national interest in traditional medicine and repositioning itself at the forefront of health research. This recent surge in productivity marks a decisive break from its dormant past, signalling not just institutional revival, but a broader cultural and scientific awakening to the untapped power of Nigeria’s indigenous healing knowledge. “This is now a turnaround agency,” he declared, “in terms of productivity, in terms of attitude.” That turnaround isn’t happening in isolation. It aligns closely with President Tinubu’s broader directive for ministries, departments and agencies to adopt transparency, deliver value and publicly account for their achievements. In NNMDA’s case, the achievements speak for themselves.
A call for commercialisation
Innovation, no matter how ground-breaking, only matters when it reaches the people who need it – a fact NNMDA leadership clearly understands. For the agency’s products to move beyond the lab and into everyday use, strategic partnerships—especially with the private sector—are essential. “Research is just the beginning. We need industry players to step in,” he says. But this isn’t a plea for charity; it’s a call to invest in a burgeoning opportunity. With the global market for natural medicine projected to surpass $550 billion by 2030, African countries that prioritise and scale indigenous drug development today stand to become global players tomorrow.
Yet the significance of this work goes deeper than market forecasts. For decades, traditional African medicine has been dismissed through a colonial lens—seen as archaic or unscientific. In truth, its principles align with many of the ideals now championed by global wellness movements: holistic care, sustainability, and prevention. By institutionalising and innovating around this heritage, Nigeria isn’t just advancing healthcare—it’s reclaiming its cultural narrative. “We’re restoring confidence in who we are. We’re saying our roots are valid. Our science is valid. Our future is ours,” Emeje says. In a country where billions are lost annually to medical tourism and local pharmaceutical manufacturing remains limited, NNMDA’s approach is both bold and timely. This isn’t a rejection of Western medicine, but an expansion of Nigeria’s healthcare possibilities—grounded in its own soil, shaped by its own science, and powered by its own people.
A Presidential endorsement awaits
President Tinubu is expected to formally launch the new range of products in the coming weeks, in what could become a landmark moment for the traditional medicine sector. That endorsement will not only signal federal support—it will surely open doors for further investment, cross-agency collaboration and policy alignment. For Emeje and his team, the future is already in motion. The focus now is on scale, on documentation, on regulatory approval, and on global standardisation. “We’re ready,” he said. “These products are ready. Nigeria is ready.” In the quiet corridors of the agency’s Lagos office, the air is thick with purpose. Batches of herbal teas, creams, capsules and concentrates sit ready for the next chapter. And somewhere between the soil and the microscope, the old ways and the new are shaking hands. It is the quiet revival of traditional medicine. And as Emeje hinted, it is just beginning.
Original Article: https://thenationonlineng.net/the-quiet-revival-of-traditional-medicine/
