Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora says development of Traditional Medicine is key to affordable drugs in the Nigeria.
A press statement made available to media by the Ministry’s director of information, Atuora Obed indicates that Adeleke stated this in Lagos during his familiarization tour of the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency(NNMDA)
The Minister emphasized that the essence of development of traditional medicine is to avail alternative, safe and affordable drugs to Nigerians for the various health challenges in the country.
He noted that the traditional medicine though unrefined, addressed the issue of health problems of our forefathers adding that establishment of medical plant market where original plants and seeds can be made available for professionals to process and produce drugs will effectively support the quest for provision of adequate drugs in the health care centres in the country.
Dr. Adeleke while calling on the Agency to be more committed towards achieving health for all through traditional and alternative medicine, charged it to protect the intellectual property of the scientists so as to avoid being pirated by some people.
The Minister commended the Agency on its achievement of construction of office blocks, establishment of various laboratories, experimental pesticide plant farms in the six geopolitical zones of the country despite paucity of fund and said that the federal government will ensure improvement in the funding of Agency.
He charged the Agency not to depend on government funding alone rather to collaborate with other organizations and philanthropists as well as commercialize its products for further internally generated Revenue which is capable of sustaining its funding and self reliance.
Dr. Adeleke identified that without unity of purpose prevailing in the organisation, the Agency could not have achieved the giant strides and then, enjoined the management and the staff to continue working as a team in order to fulfil the desired goal and the progress of the nation.
Speaking earlier, the Director-General of (NNMDA) Dr. Samuel Oghene Etatuvie said that the Agency has made a remarkable strides in the areas of research, promotion of cultivation of medicinal aromatic and raw materials amongst others.
He further said that NNMDA has produced standard, affordable and safe medicines used in treating hypertension, glaucoma and live stock tick disease and many others through these discoveries have been sent to NAFDAC for proper processing necessary for final production, packaging and consumption.
Dr. (Pharm) Samuel Oghene Etatuvie lamented that poor funding has retarded the progress of processing strategic equipment, proper training and retraining of officers, expansion of research and Innovation (R&I) and appealed to the minister to intervene in improving the funding of the Agency.
