The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has called for serious exploration of herbal medicine in Nigeria and its integration into the country’s mainstream health system to boost access to healthcare and the nation’s economy.
Ajaero said this when he and other national officers of NLC received the Congress of the newest member: National Association of Herbal Medicine Employers (NAHME), who were at the Labour House Abuja to formally present their certificate of registration and officially declare their affiliation.
The Congress president, in his remarks, stressed the need for the Federal government to explore herbal medicine as an alternative to the conventional. He also cited the potential of herbal medicine to generate trillions of Naira for the country through exports.
He also stressed the need for the government to establish herbal hospitals to further legitimize traditional medicine within the country’s healthcare system.
He stressed the efficacy of herbal medicine, rooted in Nigerian culture, asserting its relevance in tackling indigenous health challenges.
The Comrade President expressed concern over the reliance on imported pharmaceuticals amidst foreign exchange challenges, proposing the advancement of local herbal remedies as a sustainable alternative.
He further urged for ethical practices and popper research within the sector to uphold standards and ensure efficacy in treatment.
In his words; “We understand the importance of herbal medicine but it is still a vague area that we need to explore especially for a country like Nigeria, where the economy is not booming.
“Ordinarily, we should explore this herbal medicine or alternative medicine as they will call it, to the extent that it will be a revenue earner for the country, that we will be exporting our drugs to other countries, and that people can be coming into the country for treatment with our own drugs, he stated.
Ajaero said further: “That this issue of herbal medicine and alternative medicine is being regulated was part of the problems we inherited from the whites. When they came in here, our religion, our way of life, our way of dressing, everything went down. But, from independence, Nigerians have started going back to their roots. And I do not see why we should not go back to our roots.
“If herbal medicine or alternative medicine is explored in Nigeria, Nigeria will be making trillions through exports of these drugs, and that is an area that I would tell the Nigerian government, that since they are thinking of ways of diversifying the economy, they consider exploring it adequately.
“The potency of herbal medicine is not in doubt. There are elements that you cannot trace their genealogy to English culture. It is rooted in Nigerian culture. And it is clear that we know the solution. Because those illnesses are indigenous to this place.”
On his part, the President of NAHME Chief Yemi Areola, said; “Herbal medicine can help our country in many ways. It can contribute to the GDP and growth of the economy as it is with countries like China, India and many others. It can equally help save the lives give many people who cannot afford orthodox medicine. We need government intervention to move forward.
Also, the General Secretary of the union, Chief Oluyori Francis, said; “our government need to value herbal medicine and consider it as alternative to orthodox and a means of gaining money for the country. Like other countries of the world, we have to capacity to heal our sick people and contribute to economic growth of the country. We are a registered union today by God grace. We need more recognition and support from the government.”
