By Lateefah Ibrahim
Lagos, May 31, ’25 (TNZ) The Director-General of the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), Prof. Martins Emeje, has charged Nigerians to shed their colonial mentality and embrace their indigenous natural medicine.
TheNewsZenith reports that Emeche gave the advice at a recent event showcasing the agency’s achievements under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Emeche emphasised the importance of investing in natural medicine, which he believes, can create jobs, wealth, and improve the country’s economy.
According to him, over-reliance on imported medicine is causing Nigeria to pay heavy salaries of foreign staff while neglecting its own natural resources.
”The House of Representatives has thrown its weight behind the development of natural medicine, allocating budgetary funds to support the agency’s proposals.
”NNMDA is working to promote indigenous languages and cultural knowledge. It is also collaborating with the National Institute of Nigerian Languages (NINL) to tap into the expertise of local communities.
”The agency has amdigitised its natural medicine database. It also prioritised research and development through community engagement and competitive proposal writing,” TheNewsZenith quotes Emeche as saying.
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He highlighted the agency’s achievements, including winning three out of seven proposals.
These have put the agency on an international scale and attracted stakeholders seeking partnerships.
He also showcased the agency’s products, including herbal remedies for malaria, and announced plans to unveil 27 new drugs soon.
TheNewsZenith reports that the event drew praises from notable attendees, including heads of security agencies.
They commended the agency’s efforts in revitalising indigenous natural medicine for the economic and health benefit of Nigerians.
The NNMDA’s efforts aim to promote sustainable development, food security, and medicine security, with a focus on indigenous knowledge and research. (TNZ)
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