The Federal Government has rolled out seven new herbal medicines developed by the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), targeting prostate and colorectal cancers, peptic ulcer disease, hypertension, high cholesterol and hepatitis B.
The products were unveiled by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, during a high-profile visit to the agency in Lagos, in a push to boost local pharmaceutical innovation and slash Nigeria’s dependence on imported drugs.
NNMDA says more than 22 herbal products have been developed since 2023. Udeh also met key pharmaceutical stakeholders to discuss how to move the products from laboratory shelves to the market, stressing Nigeria’s huge medicinal plant resources and its potential to generate and export multibillion-dollar natural medicines. He also promised stronger funding, better infrastructure and the establishment of a clinical research centre.
Director-General Prof. Martins Emeje said improved scientific standardisation has boosted confidence in herbal medicine, with products now produced in modern forms such as capsules, tablets and syrups. He urged Nigeria to prioritise local production and exports, revealing that one of the products alone could create up to 3.5 million jobs if fully commercialised.
The newly unveiled products include Namdavir for hepatitis B, Namdacid for peptic ulcer, Turmegol for cancers, Namdorol for high cholesterol and hypertension, Namgor as an aphrodisiac, and Zobo Tea for hypertension management.
Meanwhile, India’s Consul General in Lagos, Shri Kannan, called for deeper Nigeria-India collaboration in traditional medicine, including research, drug validation, quality control, biodiversity conservation and innovation partnerships.
