The Federal Government has unveiled seven herbal products developed by the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency for the treatment and management of several health conditions, including prostate, colorectal and ovarian cancers, hepatitis B, peptic ulcer disease, hypertension and high cholesterol.
The products were unveiled on Tuesday at the NNMDA headquarters in Lagos by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, during an official visit to the agency.
The unveiling formed part of the Federal Government’s efforts to promote locally developed pharmaceutical products, reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported medicines and harness the country’s indigenous medicinal plants for healthcare and economic development.
The NNMDA said it had developed more than 22 herbal products from indigenous medicinal plants since 2023 to address various health challenges affecting Nigerians.
During the visit, Udeh also met with pharmaceutical industry leaders to discuss how the newly developed products and other research outcomes of the agency could be commercialised.
The minister said Nigeria was endowed with thousands of medicinal plants capable of providing solutions to several health conditions if they were properly researched, standardised and developed.
He noted that traditional medicine had served the healthcare needs of indigenous communities for centuries and assured the agency that the Federal Government would address the funding and infrastructure challenges limiting its work.
Udeh also promised to facilitate the establishment of a Clinical Observational Research Centre at the agency’s Victoria Island headquarters to support further scientific evaluation of the products.
He said the government would not wait for funding under the 2027 budget before commencing work on the proposed centre but would explore alternative means of raising the required resources.
According to the minister, discussions with pharmaceutical industry stakeholders showed that Nigeria could produce and export natural medicines worth billions of naira while simultaneously meeting the healthcare needs of its citizens.
He commended the agency’s management and researchers for developing natural products for conditions including malaria, sickle cell disease, erectile dysfunction and diabetes.
Presenting the products, the Director-General of the NNMDA, Professor Martins Emeje, said the agency was seeking to change the narrative of Nigeria’s dependence on imported medicines.
Emeje said properly standardised herbal medicines could now be produced in measurable dosage forms, including capsules, tablets and syrups, rather than being dispensed without definite dosage information.
He disclosed that one of the products unveiled, if fully developed across its value chain, could generate as many as 3.5 million jobs through cultivation, processing, manufacturing, distribution and export.
The NNMDA Director-General nevertheless urged the Federal Government to deepen scientific research and clinical trials by establishing the proposed Clinical Observational Research Centre.
Providing details of the products, Emeje identified Namdavir as a natural medicine developed from an indigenous plant for hepatitis B.
He said the second product, Namdacid, was developed for the management of peptic ulcer disease.
The third product, Turmegol, was developed for the management and prevention of cancers, including colorectal, ovarian and prostate cancers.
According to Emeje, research conducted by the agency indicated that Turmegol showed the potential to stop the progression of some cancers or eliminate early cancer cells.
The agency also developed Namdorol for the management of high cholesterol and hypertension.
Other products unveiled included Namgor, described as an aphrodisiac, and Zobo Tea for the management of hypertension.
Although the government announced the unveiling of seven products, six were specifically identified by name in the public account of the event.
The Consul-General of India in Lagos, Shri Kannan, who attended the programme, said India and Nigeria had significant opportunities to collaborate in traditional medicine research.
He identified potential areas of partnership to include scientific validation, medicinal plant research, standardisation, quality assurance, biodiversity conservation, capacity building, academic exchanges and entrepreneurship in natural products.
Kannan said both countries possessed rich biodiversity and indigenous healing traditions that had served their populations for generations and could contribute to modern healthcare.
The unveiling does not, by itself, amount to a declaration that the products have completed all regulatory and clinical requirements for unrestricted public sale.
Under NAFDAC regulations, herbal medicines must undergo the applicable registration, laboratory evaluation, facility inspection and regulatory approval processes before they can be manufactured, advertised, sold, distributed or used in Nigeria.
Members of the public should therefore await clear regulatory information, including applicable NAFDAC registration details and professional medical guidance, before using any of the products as treatment for cancer, hepatitis B or other serious medical conditions.
