‘Paucity Of Funds Hampers Rivers Participation In Trade Fair’

The National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP), Rivers State chapter says it lacks the capacity to organise and participate in herbal medicine exhibitions and trade fairs in the state due to paucity of funds and poor quality medicines produced by its members.
Rivers State Chairman of the association, Chief N.C. Nyefibo disclosed this during an exclusive interview with The Tide in his office in Port Harcourt on the sidelines of the ongoing herbal medicine exhibition and trade fair in the state capital.
According to him, “We in Rivers State intend to organise herbal medicine trade fairs but we cannot do it because of the financial implication and paucity of funds coupled with the fact that our practice has not gone up to that level.
“Our people have not seen the reason to participate due to lack of awareness by indigenous herbal medicine practitioners, not knowing that it is a way of exposing them to the open market. Our people do not produce the herbal medicine but the crude, so are ashamed to participate in trade fairs and exhibitions.
“I would have, as an individual, done so but for unforeseen circumstances” .
He explained that the ongoing trade fair was organised single-handedly by a Yoruba herbalist based in Port Harcourt, who informed the association of his interest to do so.
Nyefibo however noted that his association planned to organise another herbal medicine trade fair for indigenous and non-indigenous herbalists between November and December this year to enable them showcase their products, pointing out that the state chapter of the NANTMP sent out a team to monitor the conduct of the ongoing trade fair to ensure that participants complied with laid-down rules as well as confirm the standard of herbal medicines displayed for sale to the consuming public. The chairman encouraged interested buyers of the products to patronise dealers at the trade fair, adding that the event was approved by the State Ministry of Health and advised practitioners in the state to improve on the standard of their products to enable them succeed and participate in the proposed herbal medicine trade fair at the end of the year.
He appealed to the state government to include traditional medicine practitioners in the interest-free loan scheme for traders and artisans to enable them go into research and develop their skills in the interest of the state and economy, saying that the association has decided to take proactive steps towards eradicating quackery in the traditional medicine profession and warned unqualified practitioners to desist as it would no longer be business as usual.

Shedie Okpara