The growing popularity of herbal medicine in Nigeria must be matched with stronger scientific research, clinical validation, standardisation and effective regulation if herbal medicine is to earn greater public confidence and play a meaningful role in modern healthcare, experts have said.
The call formed the major thrust of the 2026 African Traditional Medicine Day symposium organised by the Model Herbal Clinic of the Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos (UNILAG).
The theme of the event is “Safe, Effective and Regulated: The Future of Herbal Medicine.” Participants and speakers deliberate on how Africa’s rich medicinal heritage could be preserved and transformed into safe, effective and quality-assured healthcare products.
The Deputy Director, Herbal and Nutraceutical Division, Drug Evaluation and Research Directorate of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharm. (Mrs) Ijeoma P. Ezeaka, warned that the natural origin of herbal medicines should not be mistaken for proof of safety.
According to her, herbal medicines, like conventional medicines, must be subjected to appropriate scientific and regulatory processes to establish their quality, safety and effectiveness. She identified contamination, inappropriate dosage, inconsistent chemical composition, toxicity and possible interactions with conventional medicines as some of the risks associated with poorly developed herbal products.
Ezeaka stressed that safety should be determined by evidence, quality and control, rather than the assumption that a product is safe because it is derived from plants. She also highlighted the importance of proper identification and sourcing of medicinal plants, explaining that differences in cultivation, harvesting and processing could affect the chemical composition and, ultimately, the quality of the finished product.
For her, manufacturers must understand the raw materials they use and ensure that they are properly processed and controlled before being introduced into production.
She further emphasised the need for hygienic production facilities and compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices, noting that NAFDAC’s regulatory responsibility extends from documentation and facility inspection to laboratory control, marketing authorisation and post-market surveillance.
Ezeaka urged small-scale herbal medicine producers who could not afford independent manufacturing facilities to consider contract manufacturing with compliant facilities instead of resorting to informal production, stressing that the regulatory system was designed to ensure that herbal products entering the market met acceptable standards and that manufacturers remained compliant even after obtaining approval.
A major concern raised by the NAFDAC official was the gap between traditional claims of effectiveness and scientific evidence. She explained that although many herbal preparations had been used for generations and were believed by communities to be effective, such traditional experience could not replace clinical evidence.
She advocated increased clinical investigation and randomised controlled trials to establish the effectiveness and safety of herbal products.
Also speaking, the first Keynote Speaker, Chief Dr (Mrs) Stella Olagbende-Dada, said African Traditional Medicine Day was established by the World Health Organisation to encourage the integration of safe, efficacious and accessible traditional medicine into national healthcare systems across Africa.
She explained that African Traditional Medicine Day, observed annually on August 31, provides an opportunity to examine how indigenous medicinal knowledge can be developed and responsibly incorporated into healthcare. She noted that the challenge was no longer whether Africans use herbal medicine, but whether the products being used could consistently demonstrate safety, quality and effectiveness.
She noted that some medicinal plants had already undergone scientific investigation, while many others remained at the level of traditional claims and anecdotal evidence but the gap could only be closed through systematic research, including appropriate clinical studies capable of establishing whether medicinal plants actually deliver the therapeutic benefits claimed for them.
“Some of our medicinal plants are traditionally used. Because we have used them and feel well, we believe that they are effective, but they are not actually proven to be effective,” she said.
She maintained that scientifically validated traditional medicines could contribute to improved healthcare access, particularly for rural populations where conventional healthcare services may not always be readily available.
The Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, UNILAG, Prof. Sunday Adesegun, said the theme of the symposium was consistent with the World Health Organisation’s focus on research and development in traditional medicine.
Adesegun said while herbal medicine had been part of African healthcare for generations, its future must be driven by scientific validation, quality assurance, standardisation and effective regulation.
He urged students and young scientists to take advantage of opportunities provided by the symposium, describing them as critical to the future of herbal medicine research and development.
The Acting Head of the Department of Pharmacognosy, Dr Ifeoma C. Orabueze, said the department was committed to building a bridge between traditional wisdom and modern science.
Orabueze described African traditional medicine as part of the continent’s identity and heritage, stressing that the knowledge had survived across generations and contained valuable resources that could be developed through modern scientific methods. She called for greater collaboration with traditional medicine practitioners, saying indigenous knowledge must be documented, validated and protected.
According to her, collaboration among researchers, practitioners, regulators and industry was necessary to make African herbal medicine safe, effective, quality-assured and ready for wider acceptance.
Beyond the 2026 event, the symposium represented another chapter in the development of the Model Herbal Clinic, which was established in 2011 through the initiative of Prof. Olukemi Odukoya, with the support of other members of the Department of Pharmacognosy.
The Clinic was conceived as a pioneering initiative aimed at bridging African traditional medicine and modern scientific research, with the vision of moving medicinal-plant discoveries from “Bench to Market.”
Over the years, the Clinic has developed and demonstrated herbal products in convenient dosage forms, including herbal teas and capsules, while providing a platform for pharmaceutical education, research, innovation and public engagement.
Its African Traditional Medicine Day programme has also evolved considerably. The documented series began in 2017 with the theme, “African Traditional Herbs for Health: Application and Development,” with Prof. Maurice Iwu delivering the guest lecture.
In 2018, the focus shifted to safety under the theme, “Effective and Safe Use of Herbs.” The 2019 edition explored international experience in taking herbal research from the laboratory to the market, while the 2020 programme responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with discussions on antiviral herbal remedies.
The 2021 edition examined natural immunity boosters, bringing together experts from Nigeria, the United States and Switzerland. By 2023, the Clinic had shifted attention to sustainability and the contribution of medicinal plants to optimal health and economic development. The 2025 edition explored “Herbal Medicines Development: New Frontiers, New Directions.”
The progression culminated in the 2026 theme of “Safe, Effective and Regulated: The Future of Herbal Medicine,” reflecting the sector’s gradual movement from traditional use towards scientific research, quality assurance, product development and regulation.
While describing the success of the event from inception till date as a collective achievement, the Chairperson of the Model herbal Clinic, and the Local Organising Committee of the event, Dr Aminat Oyawaluja, expressed optimism that continued collaboration among universities, regulatory agencies and other stakeholders would strengthen Nigeria’s herbal medicine sector and improve public confidence in properly developed and regulated herbal products.
