Harnessing the Potential of Nigeria’s Herbal Medicines: the Role of Government Agencies and Standardisation

Abstract

The use of herbal medicines in health care is becoming increasingly popular all over the world, even in the developed countries such as Europe and the United States of America. China and India have successfully integrated the use of herbal remedies into their health care systems. The ability of these countries to successfully harness the potentials of their herbal medicinal resources remains a strong challenge to Nigeria whose heavy dependence on importation of orthodox medicinal products and their raw materials is a burden on the nation's economy and its health care delivery. In Nigeria, herbal medicines form the core of traditional medicine that is still widely patronized by over 70% of the populace. It is the aspect of traditional medicine that is amenable to scientific investigation and assessment unlike the spiritual and occultic aspects. The strong appeal for the patronage of traditional medicine is because it is more accessible, available and affordable than orthodox medicine. In China and India as well as in the developed countries, standardization of herbal medicines has reached a level that is comparable to that of orthodox medicines. This is not yet the case in Nigeria where the use of herbal medicines is still largely in the hands of traditional medicine practitioners. Most of these people are not yet knowledgeable about standardization of herbal medicines. This paper has, therefore, examined the roles of relevant government organisations and other stakeholders in achieving an acceptable level of standardization. The need for the conservation and sustainable development of Nigeria's medicinal flora in underscored by the fact that most of the herbs used by practitioners are sourced from nature, raising the fears of possible extinction of these species. The initiatives of Bioresearches Development and Conservation Programme in conservation activities remain some of the prospects for the nation's herbal medicine development programme. However, the absence of legislation for the implementation of the National Traditional Medicine Policy is a cause for concern. The challenges confronting the nation in its attempts to harness the potentials of its herbal medicinal resources may be formidable but certainly not insurmountable. It only requires a great deal of efforts, determination and commitment by the government and other stakeholders to achieve success as in some other countries.