The Federal Government has called for rigorous scientific research, effective regulation and improved quality assurance in the development of traditional medicine in Nigeria, insisting that cultural acceptance alone cannot substitute for scientific evidence.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made the call in Abuja at the commemoration of the 2026 African Traditional Medicine Day.
The event, with the theme, “Around Research and Development in Traditional Medicine towards Achieving Universal Health Coverage in the African Region,” focused on strengthening research, generating evidence and ensuring the safety and effectiveness of traditional medicine products and practices.
Salako said the Federal Government was committed to repositioning traditional medicine as an important component of Nigeria’s health and economic development agenda.
He said the future development of the sector must be driven by scientific evidence, safety standards and responsible regulation.
“The future of traditional medicine must be built on rigorous research, effective regulation, quality assurance, ethical practice, documentation and continuous evaluation,” the minister said.
According to him, the Nigerian Traditional Medicine Policy recognises the importance of the sector and provides a framework for its appropriate development and integration into the country’s healthcare system.
However, Salako stressed that traditional medicine products and practices must undergo rigorous scientific evaluation to establish their safety, efficacy and quality.
“The government is clear that cultural acceptance alone cannot constitute scientific evidence,” he stated.
The minister said the Department of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare was established to develop and implement policies, promote the development and commercialisation of Nigerian traditional medicine and facilitate its integration into the national health system.
He disclosed that the Federal Government had taken steps to strengthen the sector, including the unveiling in 2025 of the Strategic Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Traditional Medicine Policy and the Code of Ethics and Practice for Traditional Medicine Practitioners.
According to him, the initiatives are expected to improve standardisation, professional conduct, safety, quality assurance and evidence-based practice in the sector.
Salako said Nigeria must move beyond merely acknowledging the importance of traditional medicine to establishing systems capable of validating, regulating, developing and appropriately integrating proven interventions into the healthcare system.
He said the country’s approach must preserve indigenous knowledge while applying modern scientific standards and protecting community intellectual property.
The minister identified the Federal Government’s priorities as strengthening research and evidence generation, improving regulation and quality assurance, documenting and preserving indigenous knowledge, promoting local production and innovation, and deepening the integration of safe and effective traditional medicine into conventional healthcare.
He called on traditional medicine practitioners to embrace research, proper documentation, ethical practice and collaboration, while urging researchers and academics to intensify scientific investigations and translate their findings into practical health solutions.
Salako also tasked regulatory agencies to develop and enforce frameworks capable of guaranteeing the safety, quality and efficacy of traditional medicine products.
He urged the private sector and investors to explore opportunities in research, development, manufacturing and commercialisation of scientifically validated traditional medicine products.
The minister further appealed to development partners and international organisations to support African-led research, strengthen capacity building and promote equitable partnerships.
He said the development of the sector must remain focused on protecting patients and the wider public.
“Traditional medicine and modern medicine should not be viewed simply as competing systems. Evidence demonstrates that they can work together safely and effectively,” Salako said.
He added that both systems should serve as complementary components of a stronger, more responsive and people-centred healthcare system.
Salako reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to harnessing Nigeria’s traditional medicine heritage while ensuring that products promoted to the public meet appropriate standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.
He urged stakeholders to move beyond reflection and take concrete action by investing in research, strengthening institutions, protecting indigenous knowledge, supporting innovation and local production, and ensuring responsible regulation.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Dr. Adanna Steinacker, called for the preservation and promotion of Nigeria’s indigenous medical knowledge through research, regulation and quality assurance.
Steinacker said credible indigenous knowledge must be properly documented, protected and responsibly transmitted to future generations.
She added that preservation must go hand in hand with scientific research to establish the safety, efficacy, appropriate dosage and possible interactions of traditional medicines with conventional drugs.
According to her, scientific research would not diminish traditional medicine but would instead help identify practices that work and translate beneficial indigenous knowledge into practical healthcare solutions.
Speaking on women’s health, Steinacker stressed the need to ensure that women have access to safe, respectful and evidence-based healthcare throughout adolescence, the reproductive years, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause.
She cautioned that traditional medicine, while capable of complementing modern healthcare, must not delay antenatal care, skilled delivery, emergency treatment or timely referral when required.
Steinacker said the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remained committed to achieving Universal Health Coverage that is inclusive, culturally responsive and centred on the wellbeing of Nigerians.
The World Health Organisation Representative at the event, Dr. Hamza Omotayo, also urged Nigeria to deepen research, regulation and quality assurance to ensure the safe and effective integration of traditional medicine into the national healthcare system.
He said traditional medicine remained a vital source of healthcare for millions of people, particularly in communities where it is accessible, affordable, culturally accepted and trusted.
Omotayo commended Nigeria for developing structures and policies aimed at strengthening the sector, including the establishment of the Department of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
He also acknowledged the development of the National Traditional Medicine Policy and the Nigerian Pharmacopoeia as important instruments for the standardisation of traditional medicines and practices.
The WHO representative urged stakeholders to accelerate the documentation and preservation of indigenous knowledge, promote the local production and commercialisation of validated traditional medicine products, protect intellectual property rights and ensure equitable benefit-sharing with indigenous communities.
He disclosed that the WHO had previously collaborated with relevant Nigerian institutions on capacity-building programmes, during which 40 traditional medicine practitioners were trained on the harvesting and preparation of standardised medicines.
Omotayo expressed optimism that increased collaboration among the government, practitioners, researchers, development partners and other stakeholders would enable traditional medicine to contribute more meaningfully to family healthcare, health security and the achievement of Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria.
