The Federal Government of Nigeria has unveiled seven locally developed herbal medicines designed to treat and manage major health conditions, including prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, peptic ulcer disease, hepatitis B, hypertension and high cholesterol, in a renewed effort to strengthen Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector and reduce dependence on imported drugs.
The herbal products, developed by the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), were officially launched on Tuesday in Lagos by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh.
The unveiling formed part of the minister’s visit to the agency, where he also held discussions with pharmaceutical industry stakeholders on strategies to commercialise the products and expand Nigeria’s natural medicine market.
According to the NNMDA, the agency has developed more than 22 herbal products from indigenous medicinal plants since 2023 to address a wide range of health challenges affecting Nigerians.
Speaking at the event, Udeh said Nigeria possesses abundant medicinal plant resources that could be harnessed to provide affordable healthcare solutions while boosting economic growth.
He noted that traditional medicine has served indigenous communities for centuries and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to removing obstacles limiting the agency’s operations.
The minister pledged to support the establishment of a Clinical Observational Research Centre at the agency’s headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos, describing the facility as critical to advancing clinical research on natural medicines.
He said the government would explore alternative funding sources to ensure the project begins without waiting for allocations in the 2027 national budget.
“We are going to move immediately and innovatively after this unveiling to establish the Clinical Observational Research Centre without waiting for funding from the 2027 budget. We are going to identify alternative ways of generating funds to build the centre,” Udeh said.
The minister also commended the agency for its research into natural medicines targeting diseases such as malaria, sickle cell disease, diabetes and erectile dysfunction, alongside the newly unveiled products.
According to him, discussions with pharmaceutical industry leaders highlighted Nigeria’s potential to become a major producer and exporter of natural medicines capable of generating billions of dollars in revenue.
Earlier, the Director-General of the NNMDA, Prof. Martins Emeje, said advances in research and standardisation had strengthened confidence in herbal medicines by ensuring consistent dosage and improved product quality.
He explained that traditional medicines developed by the agency are now produced in standard pharmaceutical forms, including capsules, tablets and syrups.
Emeje said the agency’s long-term objective is to transform Nigeria from a major importer of medicines into a producer and exporter of locally developed pharmaceutical products.
“We want to change the narrative of drug importation in Nigeria. We must develop our medicines and export them,” he said.
He added that one of the newly launched products has the potential to create about 3.5 million jobs when fully developed across its value chain.
The NNMDA boss disclosed that one of the products, named Namdavir, is a herbal medicine developed from indigenous plants for the treatment of hepatitis B.
Another product, Namdacid, was developed for the management of peptic ulcer disease, while Turmegol is intended for the prevention and management of cancers such as colorectal, ovarian and prostate cancers.
According to Emeje, scientific studies indicate that Turmegol has shown the potential to halt the progression of cancer and eliminate early cancer cells.
The agency also unveiled Namdorol, formulated for managing high cholesterol and hypertension, alongside Namgor, an aphrodisiac, and Zobo Tea, developed to help manage hypertension.
Emeje, who also serves as Co-Chair of the World Health Organisation’s Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine, urged the Federal Government to strengthen clinical research by establishing the proposed Clinical Observational Research Centre.
Also speaking at the event, India’s Consul General in Lagos, Shri Kannan, called for stronger collaboration between Nigeria and India in traditional medicine research.
He said both countries possess rich biodiversity and centuries-old healing traditions that provide opportunities for cooperation in medicinal plant research, scientific validation of traditional medicines, quality assurance, biodiversity conservation, academic exchanges, entrepreneurship and natural product innovation.
Kannan added that closer collaboration between the two nations could help unlock the full potential of indigenous healthcare systems while contributing to modern medical solutions.
