INTERVIEW: Why Nigeria's traditional medicine is not advancing

Traditional medicine has been an integral part of Nigerian culture for centuries, yet it continues to face scepticism by millions of citizens. Several reasons have been adduced for this, including the absence of standards, weak regulation and a colonial mindset.

In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the Director General of the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), Martins Emeje, discusses traditional medicine, the agency’s efforts to standardise and regulate the field, and how innovations like nanotechnology are transforming herbal treatments.

Mr Emeje, a professor of drug delivery/nanomedicine, also discusses the potential of traditional medicine to create millions of jobs, the need for academic recognition, and his vision for its integration into Nigeria’s
healthcare system.

PT: Traditional medicine has been a part of Nigerian culture for centuries, yet it has faced scepticism from many, especially in the medical community.

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What would you say is the biggest challenge facing traditional medicine today?

Mr Emeje: This is the first time a journalist has framed the question this way, acknowledging that scepticism primarily comes from the medical community rather than saying “most people.” That distinction is important.

The people who hold these misconceptions are what I call the “minority elite” of this country. Studies have shown that at least 80 per cent of Nigerians patronise traditional medicine. If Nigeria has a population of about 218 million, and we estimate 80 per cent of 200 million, that means around 160 million Nigerians use traditional medicine. The remaining 40 million are mostly elites—educated individuals who live in places like Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt. They have access to foreign drugs, private hospitals, and allopathic medicine because they can afford it. These are the same people who get appointed as consultants by organisations like the UN, WHO, UNICEF, and UNESCO. They sit in hotels, write reports, and spiral-bind documents about what is happening in my village, Agaliga, without going there.

The issue is largely colonial mentality. Many in this elite group refuse to liberate themselves from the shackles of colonialism. They badmouth traditional medicine not because it is ineffective but because they rely on foreign funding.

This is not to say that traditional medicine is perfect, far from it. But neither is allopathic medicine. I’m a pharmacist, and I can confidently say that many diseases cannot be cured by modern drugs, yet traditional
medicine has solutions for them, and vice versa.

For those of us deeply involved in this field—by experience, study, and passion—we know what needs to be done. Thankfully, I have been given the privilege by President Bola Tinubu to do just that, and I am fully committed to the task.

PT: One of the major concerns about traditional medicine is the lack of standardisation and regulation. What are you doing to address this?

Mr Emeje: First of all, those who truly understand traditional medicine know that standardisation is not an issue.

The idea that traditional medicine lacks dosage comes from applying foreign parameters to judge it, which is incorrect. People who are not familiar with traditional medicine often assume it does not have proper dosing, but that is simply not true.

A dose does not have to be defined strictly by colonial curricula. As people trained in modern medicine, pharmacy, and other health sciences, our role is to apply our knowledge to improve traditional medicine – not to dismiss its existing principles. Currently, traditional medicine is not taught in universities as a standalone discipline. That is why we are advocating for full academic programmes, including bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, PhDs, and professorships in Nigerian traditional medicine. Once we have graduates who specialise in this field, they will be able to define and explain traditional medicine dosing scientifically.

For now, the assumption that traditional medicine lacks dosage only comes from a lack of understanding. Traditional medical practitioners do provide dosing instructions. Some may say, “Take a cup,” just as some foreign
medicines require drinking a specific liquid quantity. Others use natural indicators, such as the sun’s position, to determine when a dose should be taken. These are legitimate dosing methods.

Where do modern scientists come in? Our role is to collect, study, and document these practices properly to ensure they are well-understood and applied effectively.

At NNMDA, we have taken concrete steps toward this. We run a four-year college where students earn a National Diploma in Natural Medicine.

Recently, we were also designated as the official awarding body for traditional medicine certifications in Nigeria.

The federal government recognises that traditional medicine is affordable, accessible to people, and resonates with our culture.

PT: How is NNMDA working with regulatory agencies like NAFDAC to prevent misinformation, protect public health, and ensure that only safe, regulated traditional medicines reach the public?

Mr Emeje: Our relationship with NAFDAC is excellent. The Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, is one of the strongest advocates for traditional medicine in Africa, even though she doesn’t publicly emphasise it. I call her my “Mama” because of her commitment to this field.

NNMDA and NAFDAC were the first two public institutions in Nigeria to collaborate and win a competitive grant for research in traditional medicine. We are continuing this work with another major project planned for 2025. If you listened to her 2025 press conference, you would have heard her mention at least three projects she intends to carry out with NNMDA.

Beyond NAFDAC, we also work closely with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, led by Ahmed Babashehu. These are the two most important regulatory agencies in Nigeria when it comes to medicine, and we collaborate effectively to ensure standards are met.

When discussing substandard and counterfeit medicines, it’s important to note that the issue isn’t limited to traditional medicine. In fact, there are far more fake and substandard foreign medicines circulating in Nigeria
than traditional remedies. We all remember the late Dora Akunyili, who almost lost her life while fighting against fake drugs. Her battle wasn’t against traditional medicine—it was against counterfeit foreign pharmaceuticals. So, the problem of substandard medicines is largely a foreign one, not just an issue within traditional medicine.

PT: Recently, you recommended the introduction of traditional medicine into schools. How do you envision this working? Will it be a standalone course, or will it be integrated into medical and pharmaceutical education?

Mr Emeje: Traditional medicine will stand as an independent discipline, offering degrees at all academic levels: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD—with professors specialising in Nigerian traditional medicine. It is not about
merging it with medicine, pharmacy, or other healthcare courses. Instead, those pursuing careers in medicine, nursing, and medical laboratory science can take elective courses in traditional medicine to gain a formal understanding of the field.

There is often a colonial mindset that places Western medicine above traditional medicine, leading some to argue that traditional medicine should be integrated into modern medical education. But why not the other way around? Traditional medicine is vast and deeply rooted in our indigenous knowledge systems. In fact, it should not even be taught in English.

Across Asia, students studying traditional medicine do so in their native languages. If a foreigner wants to study traditional Chinese medicine or Ayurveda, they first learn the language for six months. Yet here, we insist that students must have five credits in English to study traditional medicine—why?

This is why I supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s idea of establishing a university of languages. Unfortunately, the idea faced criticism, mostly from people whose expertise is criticism. If we truly value our heritage, we should embrace education in indigenous languages, particularly in fields like traditional medicine.

Look at the mass migration of Nigerian healthcare professionals—doctors, pharmacists and nurses are leaving the country in large numbers because their training aligns with foreign healthcare systems. That tells us
something is wrong with our curriculum. If we trained people for Nigeria’s healthcare system, they wouldn’t be in such high demand abroad. Graduates of Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine don’t “japa” because their expertise is primarily useful in their home countries, helping to develop local healthcare.

Many traditional medical practitioners today should be university lecturers, but the system does not recognise their knowledge. If you are a professor of medicine or pharmacy, you may know little about traditional medicine, yet traditional practitioners can diagnose and treat conditions in ways that modern medicine sometimes cannot. For instance, a traditional healer may use specific plant mixtures and techniques to restore mobility to an injured leg that Western medicine would have amputated. This depth of knowledge deserves academic recognition.

PT: You projected that just one of NNMDA’s 27 new products could generate up to 3.8 million jobs. Which specific sectors will benefit the most from this job creation?

Mr Emeje: That estimate is a modest one. Every white powder imported into Nigeria, by pharmaceutical companies, originates from plants, and in other countries, the entire process of cultivation, harvesting, transportation, extraction, purification, and formulation creates massive employment opportunities. But here, we simply import the finished product, paying not just for the powder but also for the salaries of those who processed it abroad. Essentially, we are outsourcing jobs that should be created within our economy.

With this initiative, we are reversing that trend by producing medicinal products locally, creating employment across multiple sectors. Agriculture will see a major boost because medicinal plants are the raw materials.
Large-scale farming will be essential, and we already have farms in 14 states with plans to expand to over 8,600 medicinal farms nationwide. Every community has diseases and local plants traditionally used for treatment, and cultivating these plants will generate significant employment for farmers and agricultural workers.

Transportation will also be heavily involved. Moving raw materials from farms to laboratories and production facilities require a strong logistics network. We will need transporters at every stage, just as INEC partners
with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) during elections. We will also collaborate with transport unions, creating employment opportunities for drivers, logistics coordinators, and other transport
workers.

Education and skills training will play a crucial role. To sustain this industry, we must train professionals in traditional medicine. That’s why we have established a college and are launching a National Skills Acquisition Programme to certify traditional medical practitioners. This will open up jobs for educators, researchers, and trainers.

The healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors will benefit as well. Once raw materials reach the lab, we need highly skilled professionals—chemists, pharmacists, medical doctors, clinical trial experts, and analysts—to ensure product safety and efficacy. The demand for healthcare workers, including nurses and laboratory scientists will increase as more products are developed.

Marketing and distribution will also see significant job creation. After production, the medicines must reach consumers, requiring marketers, distributors, and retailers to ensure accessibility and public awareness.

All these sectors combined contribute to our job creation estimate.

Currently, we have 27 products, with five already approved by NAFDAC and others in the final stages. We are proud to be the only public institution in Nigeria conducting healthcare research with NAFDAC-approved products and facilities.

PT: NNMDA is applying nanotechnology to traditional medicine, which is quite fascinating. Can you explain how this innovation is improving the safety and effectiveness of herbal treatments?

Mr Emeje: I’m smiling because this is my area of expertise—nanoscience.
It’s something I’m very passionate about. When people criticise the development of natural products, I simply laugh because we have moved far beyond basic preparation and delivery. At this agency, we have a fully equipped nanotechnology laboratory, and I’m already pushing to expand it into a pico-technology laboratory. In fact, we have already launched some nanotechnology-based products.

Nanotechnology allows us to improve the precision and effectiveness of herbal treatments through targeted drug delivery. For example, take a common medication like paracetamol, which is usually given as a 500mg dose. The body doesn’t need the entire 500mg; only a fraction of it is needed.
The rest is lost through metabolism and waste removal. With nanotechnology, we can deliver only the exact amount needed directly to the target area in the body. This enhances efficiency, reduces waste, and minimises potential side effects.

Beyond that, we are also advancing machine learning applications to improve our research. In the next two years, our data will demonstrate just how much progress we’ve made. Additionally, our nanotechnology is
environmentally friendly—it falls under green technology. We don’t use harmful chemicals in our processes; instead, we rely on natural compounds, ensuring that our innovations align with global efforts to combat climate change.

PT: Looking ahead, what is your ultimate vision for traditional medicine in Nigeria? Where do you see its place in our healthcare system and economy?

Mr Emeje: Whether I achieve it or not, my vision is clear—I want to be at the forefront of transforming traditional medicine in Nigeria. I envision a future where traditional medicine is respected, recognised, and formally integrated into our healthcare system. I want Nigerians to see it as a viable career path, with structured educational programmes leading to degrees, master’s, and even PhDs in traditional medicine.

More importantly, I want these studies to be conducted in our local languages, eliminating the barrier of English proficiency. My goal is for people to confidently walk into licensed traditional medical facilities—just as they do with modern hospitals—where they can receive trusted, professional healthcare.