Nigerian Newsday

President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that no less than 70% of the Nigerian population patronise traditional medicine practitioners.
The president stated this in his address at the opening ceremony of a 2-day zonal herbal fair/workshop organised by Association of Lady Pharmacists of Nigeria (ALPS), in Abuja, last week.

Speaking through the health minister, Prof Eyitayo Lambo, the president said the high patronage of physiotherapy, otherwise called “Green Medicine”, was an indication that when properly standardized, herbal medicines could serve as alternative to modern medicines.
The president then emphasised Nigeria’s determination to do everything possible to develop traditional medicine by fully harnessing “our medicinal plant resources for the benefit of our people.”

He however called on stakeholders in traditional medicine to create a platform for the regulation and standardization of traditional medicine practice and the herbal medicine products, while stressing the need for the conservation and replenishment of the  fast- depleting medicinal plants species. 

He further stated that the revised Traditional Medicine Practice Draft Bill would soon be submitted to the Federal Executive Council for consideration and approval stressing that already the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), have been collaborating strongly with Traditional Medicine practitioners, towards improving the quality of herbal products.

In his speech at the occasion, the minister of health, Professor Eyitayo Lambo, represented by the Director of Health, Planning and Research in the Federal Ministry of health, Dr. Shehu Sule, described the Fair/Workshop as a giant step which he said was also timely, coming at a time the federal ministry of health was poised to develop our herbal/natural therapies, for integration into the healthcare delivery system.

The minister who described the theme of the Fair/Workshop, “Alternative therapies for management of Chronic and Endemic diseases: Focus on Herbal Health medicine” as very “auspicious”, commended ALPS for organising the workshop, while promising that government would continue to support every genuine effort that could contribute towards improving life expectancy, reducing  child and maternal mortality and generally enhancing the quality of life of Nigerians.aŠ