The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to reposition traditional medicine as a safe, evidence-based and properly regulated part of Nigeria’s healthcare system.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Adekunle Salako, made this known in Abuja during the commemoration of the 2026 African Traditional Medicine Day. The event focused on research and development in traditional medicine as a pathway towards achieving universal health coverage in Africa.

Salako said traditional medicine has remained deeply connected to Nigeria’s cultural heritage and has provided healthcare to communities for generations. However, he emphasised that widespread cultural acceptance does not amount to scientific proof, making rigorous assessment of traditional medicine products and practices necessary.

According to the minister, the Nigerian Traditional Medicine Policy provides the framework for developing traditional medicine and integrating appropriate practices into the national healthcare system. He added that the Department of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine was created to formulate policies, encourage commercialisation and support integration into healthcare.

He identified safety, quality, efficacy and consistency as key priorities for the sector. This, he said, requires the validation of therapeutic claims and proper determination of the composition, potency, purity and safety of traditional medicine products.

Salako further said the government had taken steps to strengthen the sector through the 2025 Strategic Plan of Action for implementing the Traditional Medicine Policy, as well as the Code of Ethics and Practice for practitioners.

He also advocated closer cooperation between traditional medicine practitioners, researchers, regulators and conventional healthcare professionals. Nigeria, he said, needs to progress from simply recognising traditional medicine to validating interventions that are proven and integrating them appropriately into healthcare.

The minister equally appealed to investors and private-sector operators to increase support for research, manufacturing and commercialisation of scientifically validated traditional medicine products. He also urged development partners to back African-led research initiatives and capacity-building efforts.

Salako maintained that traditional medicine and modern medicine should not be treated as rival healthcare systems, but rather as complementary approaches when their use is supported by evidence and safety.

Also speaking at the event, a representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Hamza Omotayo, called on Nigeria to intensify research, regulation and quality assurance as part of efforts to safely incorporate traditional medicine into healthcare.

Omotayo noted that traditional medicine continues to serve as a significant source of healthcare for millions of people, especially in communities where such services are accessible, affordable and culturally accepted.

He commended Nigeria’s existing policy and institutional arrangements, including the National Traditional Medicine Policy and Nigerian Pharmacopoeia. However, he called for increased investment in research and clinical evaluation to determine the safety and efficacy of traditional medicine products.

The WHO representative further urged stakeholders to document and preserve indigenous knowledge, expand local production, safeguard intellectual property rights and establish equitable benefit-sharing arrangements with indigenous communities.

In a goodwill message, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Dr Adanna Steinacker, also advocated the preservation of indigenous medical knowledge through research, regulation and quality assurance.

Steinacker said research could help identify effective traditional practices and convert credible indigenous knowledge into healthcare solutions. She nevertheless cautioned that traditional medicine should not interfere with antenatal care, skilled delivery, emergency treatment or timely referral whenever these services are required.

She also called for stronger regulation of the sector, conservation of medicinal plants and biodiversity, protection of community knowledge against exploitation, and the establishment of clear referral pathways linking traditional medicine practitioners with recognised health facilities.

Source The Guardian