My people, gather here jare! Na serious matter wey dey happen for Nigerian traditional medicine side. NNMDA, wey be Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency, don start beta project wey go help standardise and strengthen traditional medicine sector for Naija. Na the Director-General, Prof. Martins Emeje, yarn am as e dey celebrate im new role as Co-Chair for WHO advisory group wey dey focus on traditional medicine.
According to Prof. Emeje, over 160 million Nigerians dey rely on traditional medicine. Na serious matter! E say dis huge number especially dey for rural areas wey no get access to hospitals. Dem dey work on this database to bring sanity, visibility, and credibility to our own natural medicine.
“The kasala wey dey for traditional medicine na say e no get proper organisation. For pharmacy wey I sabi well, we dey get registration number and e dey transparent. But traditional medicine, na wah! We don start to fix am,” Emeje talk as e dey explain how dem start digital database for traditional medical practitioners dem. Na beta move wey go gree people know who dey practice wetin.
Emeje also talk say dem go verify practitioners, their clinics and services. Dem wan capture all the local government areas for Naija wey dey total 774, with a pilot project dey happen for Iseyin, Oyo State now. “We go take this pilot project to National Assembly so that we fit implement am when budget don show face.” Na good plan wey fit monkey the business!
Naija sabi say traditional medicine dey popular, yet e dey misunderstood and no dey get proper funding. Emeje dey vex say global research fund wey dey go traditional medicine dey below one percent. Wetin happen? E talk say traditional consumers na the majority wey dey use healthcare, but the money no dey plenty for wetin dem dey need.
Education and standard-setting be the key to make this traditional medicine shine. NNMDA dey work on accreditation for training wey go keep quality high for practitioners. E say dem no dey try to replace the indigenous knowledge, but to make am structured and preserved. Naija fit learn from China and India wey don blend traditional medicine well inside their healthcare.
With WHO’s new focus on traditional medicine, Emeje believe say Naija fit attract better funding and validation for our natural medicines. Im don show say e go use im position to link Naija and Africa to global talks and collaborations. Na time for our traditional medicine to shine, my people!
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