By Raymond Ken-Mbata
Abuja, August 31, 2026 — The Federal Government has renewed its push to reposition traditional medicine as a credible component of Nigeria’s healthcare system, demanding stronger scientific research, effective regulation and rigorous quality assurance to determine which indigenous remedies and practices are safe and effective for public use.
The call was contained in a statement signed by Ado Bako, Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, on the occasion of the 2026 African Traditional Medicine Day. The commemoration, held in Abuja, had the theme, “Around Research and Development in Traditional Medicine towards Achieving Universal Health Coverage in the African Region.” The government said the focus was not to diminish Nigeria’s rich traditional medical heritage, but to subject it to standards capable of protecting patients while unlocking its potential contribution to Universal Health Coverage.
The Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said traditional medicine could no longer depend principally on cultural acceptance or generations of usage as proof of its safety and effectiveness. He said the sector needed systematic research, documentation, continuous evaluation, ethical practice and stronger regulatory oversight to establish the quality and efficacy of its products and practices.
Dr. Salako said the Federal Government had established the Department of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine to formulate and implement policies, encourage the development and commercialization of Nigerian traditional medicine and facilitate the integration of appropriate interventions into the national health system. He cited the 2025 Strategic Plan of Action for implementing the Traditional Medicine Policy and the Code of Ethics and Practice for Traditional Medicine Practitioners as measures aimed at improving standardisation, professional conduct, safety and evidence-based practice.
Dr. Salako identified research and evidence generation, regulation, quality assurance, preservation of indigenous knowledge, local production, innovation and responsible integration with conventional medicine as major priorities. He urged practitioners to cooperate with researchers and regulators, while encouraging investors and development partners to support research, manufacturing and commercialization of traditional medicine products that have been scientifically validated.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Dr. Adanna Steinacker, called for greater efforts to document, preserve and protect Nigeria’s indigenous medical knowledge while subjecting it to appropriate scientific investigation. She said research was essential to establish the safety, efficacy, dosage and possible interactions of traditional remedies with conventional medicines.
Dr. Steinacker stressed that scientific research should be seen as a means of strengthening rather than undermining traditional medicine by identifying practices with genuine health benefits and developing them into solutions that can contribute to Universal Health Coverage.
She, however, warned that traditional remedies must not become a substitute for essential medical services, particularly antenatal care, skilled delivery, emergency treatment and timely referral when required. She also linked the development of traditional medicine to the broader goal of an inclusive and culturally responsive healthcare system under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with the wellbeing and safety of Nigerians remaining central.
The Representative of the World Health Organization at the event, Dr. Hamza Omotayo, urged Nigeria to accelerate research, regulation and quality assurance to ensure that traditional medicine can be safely integrated into the national healthcare system. He noted that traditional medicine continues to serve millions of people, particularly in communities where it is accessible, affordable and culturally trusted.
Dr. Omotayo commended Nigeria for developing institutional and policy structures to strengthen the sector, including the Department of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the National Traditional Medicine Policy and the Nigerian Pharmacopoeia. He called for faster documentation and preservation of indigenous knowledge, protection of intellectual property rights, equitable benefit-sharing with indigenous communities and increased local production of validated traditional medicine products.
The WHO representative also disclosed that the organisation had collaborated with relevant Nigerian institutions on capacity-building programmes, including workshops that trained 40 traditional medicine practitioners in the harvesting and preparation of standardised medicines. He expressed optimism that stronger collaboration among government, practitioners, researchers, regulators, private investors and development partners would enable traditional medicine to contribute more meaningfully to family healthcare, health security and Universal Health Coverage.
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