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‘Nigeria Has Over 10,000 Species Of Traditional Medicinal Plants’
The Minister of State, Health, Sen. Adeleke Mamora, has said that Nigeria was endowed with over 10,000 species of medicinal plants.
He also said the country had good arable land and climatic conditions for harnessing the potentials of the plants, for health, social, economic and other benefits.
Mamora said this in Abuja at the opening of a conference on Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM).
The conference was organised by TCAM, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) identified medicinal plant as the whole or part of a plant that contains bioactive substances that can be used for therapeutic purposes or serve as precursors for the synthesis of drugs.
Nigeria has a full-fledged TCAM Department in its Ministry of Health responsible for the formulation, review and implementation of policies and guidelines for research, development and regulation of herbal medicines.
The country launched the Traditional Medicine Policy in 2007, which has as its key objective, harnessing the potentials and economic benefits of TCAM.
The country also has a compendium of medicinal plants, the Nigerian Herbal Pharmacopeia (NHP), first published in 2008 and currently under review.
The compendium contained medicinal plants used for the safe treatment and management of various diseases.
Mamora said the conference should promote the cultivation and utilisation of medicinal plants as raw materials for the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries.
He said this was to create short, medium and long-term value chain and attract agricultural and manufacturing loans.
The minister said this was important, as Nigeria and other African countries currently benefitted minimally from the global herbal medicine market projected at $7trillion by 2050.
He said the market had been dominated by China, India, US, Germany and Thailand.
“Significantly, the cultivation of medicinal plants and commercialisation of herbal medicines will attract huge economic benefits to Nigeria.
“Especially in the following areas: increase foreign exchange earnings and wealth creation, alleviate poverty through the creation of job opportunities in areas of cultivation and conservation of medicinal plants in Nigeria,” he added.
He assured that the ministry remained committed to developing and promoting traditional, complementary and alternative medicine in Nigeria.
He said stakeholders had initiated sensitisation programmes and activities to promote the cultivation, commercialisation and use of indigenous medicinal plants in the country.
It “facilitated the passage of the TCAM Council Bill into Law, to effectively coordinate and regulate TCAM practice in the country.
The stakeholders also “inaugurated an Expert Committee that is currently working out modalities for the take-off of TCAM Institute for the training of TCAM practitioners in Nigeria”.
A professor of Phytomedicine from the University of Benin, Prof. MacDonald Idu, in a keynote address, said if properly harnessed, the value of traditional medicinal plants in Nigeria would hit N1trillion by 2025.
He put the current market value of traditional medicinal plants conservatively at about N200billion, regretting that not much attention has been paid to harness the sector.
“We talked about $200billion. It is conservative. I’m serious. Other forms of literature that I have also read, we are going to hit about N1trillion by 2025. I know what that means. That’s a lot of money”, he said.
Idu said Nigeria must show commitment towards diversifying the economy.
“Nigeria I’m sorry, we don’t walk the talk. We talk a lot, but we don’t walk the talk. So, my point of interest is to drag the hearts of our people to realise that we should diversify our economy.
“We don’t have any reason to be poor. That’s the real truth. We don’t have any reason to import everything that we need to survive. It’s already here. Why do you have them here?
“So, I believe that if we’re able to set up that platform again, and then we’re able to organize ourselves and organize the traditional medicine practitioners and producers, we should be able to raise enough money for this country to move forward,” Idu added.
Earlier, the First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari, expressed regret over the low level of utilisation of the over 10,000 species of medicinal plants in the country, in spite of its huge need for the production of drugs, cosmetics and other essential products.
Buhari expressed the present administration’s commitment to boosting the commercial cultivation of such plants for the health, economic and social benefits of the people.
She said it would also open new areas for wealth and job creation for the teeming youths of the country.
The conference is expected to bring together experts and other stakeholders in various fields of TCAM to brainstorm on the importance of indigenous medicinal plants to healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu has expressed confidence that the country would win the fight against insecurity.
The President gave the assurance at the Argungu International Fishing Festival in Argungu town, Kebbi State, on Saturday.
He noted that the relative peace currently being enjoyed in Kebbi and neighbouring states was the result of sustained investments in security intelligence, coordination among security agencies, and community engagement.
Tinubu assured farmers and fishermen of sustained federal support to guarantee food security and safety across the country.
“The peace we are witnessing today is not accidental. It is the outcome of deliberate and sustained efforts. I assure you that the fight against banditry, insurgency, and insecurity will be won.
“Our farmers, fishermen, traders, and families will go about their lawful activities without fear,” he assured.
The President commended the organisers of the festival for sustaining the cultural event for decades, noting that it had endured for 83 years despite social and security challenges.
Describing the Argungu festival as a powerful symbol of unity, resilience, and peaceful coexistence, Tinubu stated that it reflects the richness of the country’s culture and the opportunities to harness its natural and human resources for national growth.
He said, “Today, this festival stands as a powerful symbol of unity, resilience, and peaceful coexistence among our people.
“It reflects the richness of our culture, the strength of our traditions, and the opportunities inherent in harnessing our natural and human resources for national development.”
The President was received by a large crowd of residents, traditional rulers, fishermen, tourists, and government officials from across the country.
The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth and women empowerment, irrigation development, rural electrification, and agricultural productivity.
Earlier, the Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, said his administration was determined to elevate the Argungu Fishing Festival to full international standards while pursuing aggressive development across critical sectors of the state.
The United States Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will be closed today, in observance of Presidents’ Day.
The mission made this known in a notice shared on its official X page, yesterday.
“The U.S. Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will be closed on Monday, February 16, 2026, in observance of Presidents’ Day,” the post read.
According to the embassy, Presidents’ Day was originally established to honour the birthday of the former US President, George Washington, but has evolved into a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents and their leadership in shaping the country’s history.
The embassy noted that the holiday also recognises the influence of U.S. presidents on global affairs.
In a related message, the mission highlighted that Washington created the first “Badge of Military Merit,” which later became the Purple Heart. The medal still bears Washington’s image today.
Presidents’ Day is observed on the third Monday of February annually in the United States as a federal holiday.
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Guterres Backs Nigeria’s Bid For UN Security Council Seat …Hails Tinubu’s Reforms, Regional Security Role
United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has charged Nigeria with spearheading Africa’s quest for a restructured global order, describing the country as uniquely positioned to lead the continent toward superpower status.
Guterres, who backed Nigeria’s bid for the world body’s security council seat, also praised the economic reforms of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration as well as Nigeria’s leadership in stabilising the Sahel and ECOWAS regions, despite facing its own security challenges.
The UN scribe made the remarks last Friday night during a high-level bilateral meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima on the sidelines of the 39th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Speaking during the meeting, Guterres said Nigeria’s large population, sustained democratic governance, vast natural and human resources, and longstanding commitment to multilateralism placed it in a unique position to lead Africa in the evolving global order.
“Given Nigeria’s demographic strength, democratic continuity and deep resource base, the country stands a real chance of leading Africa to becoming the next superpower in the evolving global architecture,” he said.
The UN Secretary-General and the vice president discussed key developments in Nigeria and the country’s expanding leadership role in promoting regional stability across West Africa and the Sahel.
Guterres commended the remarkable and outstanding reforms of the administration of President Tinubu, noting that Nigeria’s bold economic restructuring and security commitments have strengthened its continental standing.
The meeting focused on strengthening Nigeria–UN collaboration to advance global economic growth, peace and security, sustainable development, and a coordinated humanitarian response across Africa.
In his remarks, Shettima thanked the UN Secretary-General for his leadership in advancing global peace, noting that Africa has benefited immensely from his tenure, even as the United Nations undergoes internal restructuring.
“We remain committed to multilateralism and to deepening our partnerships with the United Nations and other global institutions,” the vice president said.
Shettima also reiterated Nigeria’s longstanding call for comprehensive reform of the United Nations system to reflect evolving global realities.
He emphasised that Africa must have stronger representation in global decision-making structures and declared that Nigeria deserves a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Both leaders pledged to deepen cooperation, with Guterres reaffirming the UN’s support for Nigeria’s reform agenda and its growing leadership role in advancing peace, security, and development across Africa.