The Lagos and Ogun State governments have moved to strengthen the regulation of traditional medicine practitioners, with Ogun seeking to adopt Lagos’ regulatory model to check unprofessional practices in the sector.
The move followed a working visit by officials of the Ogun State Alternative Medicine Board to the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board to understudy its regulatory framework, registration procedures and monitoring strategies.
The Lagos board’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Babatunde Adele, disclosed that the agency had registered 9,645 active traditional medicine practitioners since its establishment in 1980.
He said the board was ready to share its experience with Ogun to promote professionalism, accountability and safer traditional healthcare practices.
Adele explained that the board was responsible for registering practitioners, organising professional training, monitoring their activities and ensuring compliance with established standards.
He added that Lagos had introduced regular training programmes and a code of conduct to improve practitioners’ competence and check the activities of unregistered operators.
The Lagos government is also pursuing plans to modernise traditional medicine practice through research facilities, clinics and improved regulatory infrastructure.
Adele disclosed that a botanical garden was being established in Epe, while plans were underway to develop additional traditional medicine clinics and laboratories.
He also revealed plans to establish zonal offices to bring the board’s services closer to practitioners and residents across the state.
The Ogun delegation, led by its Executive Secretary and Registrar, Charles Erinle, said it was in Lagos to understudy the state’s administrative structure and regulatory strategies.
Erinle said his team hoped to identify practical measures that could be adapted to improve the administration and regulation of alternative medicine in Ogun.
He expressed optimism that the engagement would open the door to stronger institutional cooperation between the two states.
Also speaking, a former member of the Lagos board and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Holistic College of Traditional Medicine, Tajudeen Olusesi, said the agency had encouraged the establishment of training institutions, clinics, botanical gardens, herbal centres and drug manufacturing facilities.
He said the introduction of a data management system, compulsory registration and periodic licence renewal had also helped the board track practitioners and identify inactive registrations.
According to him, the measures would improve the reliability of the practitioners’ database and strengthen monitoring of activities in the sector.
A member of the Ogun delegation, Olufunke Adu, commended the Lagos board for sharing its experience, expressing hope that the lessons learnt would help strengthen traditional medicine regulation in Ogun.
The collaboration is expected to promote better oversight of traditional medicine practitioners, improve professional standards and encourage research and documentation of indigenous medical knowledge.
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