By Emmanuel Ogbodo
The Director General of the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency, Martins Emeje, has said that traditional medicine in Nigeria has the potential to create millions of jobs but continues to struggle due to poor academic recognition and colonial attitudes.
Speaking with newsmen, Emeje highlighted scepticism from the medical community as a major barrier rather than public distrust.
He noted that around eighty percent of Nigerians rely on traditional medicine, but elites in cities like Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt often dismiss it due to colonial influence.
He also challenged claims that traditional medicine lacks proper dosing, insisting that traditional practitioners have established dosage methods that scientists should document rather than dismiss.
Emeje praised the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for supporting traditional medicine and revealed that both agencies had secured a research grant to improve herbal treatments.
He also pushed for traditional medicine to be recognized as a standalone academic discipline with degree programs up to the doctorate level.
On job creation, he said NNMDA’s twenty seven new products could generate about three point eight million jobs through the cultivation and distribution of medicinal plants.
He added that the agency is applying nanotechnology to improve herbal treatments and reduce waste.
Emeje expressed hope that traditional medicine would be fully integrated into Nigeria’s healthcare system, allowing licensed practitioners to operate alongside modern hospitals.
