Federal Government Unveils Herbal Medicines to Treat Cancer

The Federal Government unveils herbal medicines developed from indigenous medicinal plants to treat and manage prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, peptic ulcer disease, hypertension, high cholesterol and Hepatitis B, marking a major milestone in Nigeria’s drive to strengthen local pharmaceutical innovation and reduce dependence on imported drugs.

Key Highlights

• Federal Government unveils seven herbal medicines developed by NNMDA.
• Products target prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, Hepatitis B, ulcers, hypertension and high cholesterol.
• More than 22 herbal products have been developed since 2023.
• Government plans to establish a Clinical Observational Research Centre.
• Nigeria aims to commercialise herbal medicines and expand exports.
• One herbal product could generate up to 3.5 million jobs, according to NNMDA.

The products, developed by the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), are part of more than 22 herbal medicines produced from indigenous medicinal plants since 2023 to address Nigeria’s healthcare challenges through locally developed solutions.

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, unveiled the products during an official visit to the agency’s headquarters in Lagos. He also met with pharmaceutical industry stakeholders to discuss strategies for commercialising the medicines and expanding Nigeria’s natural medicine industry.

Udeh said Nigeria possesses thousands of medicinal plants with enormous potential to provide affordable healthcare solutions while creating economic opportunities.

He noted that traditional medicine has served indigenous communities for centuries and pledged the Federal Government‘s support in addressing the agency’s funding and infrastructure challenges.

The minister also promised to facilitate the establishment of a Clinical Observational Research Centre, a key request by the agency, while exploring alternative funding sources outside the 2027 budget.

He commended the agency’s research achievements, which include natural medicines for malaria, sickle cell disease, diabetes, erectile dysfunction and other tropical diseases.

“Nigeria has the capacity to produce and export natural medicines worth billions of dollars. The agency can also generate billions of naira while meeting the healthcare needs of Nigerians,” Udeh said.

According to him, the government will immediately begin the process of establishing the Clinical Observational Research Centre without waiting for future budgetary allocations.

Earlier, the Director-General of the NNMDA, Prof. Martins Emeje, said scientific research and standardisation have significantly improved the credibility of herbal medicine by ensuring proper dosage, safety and quality.

Emeje, who also serves as Co-Chair of the World Health Organisation’s Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine, described the unveiling as a major step towards transforming Nigeria into a global producer of natural medicines.

He disclosed that herbal medicines are now being produced in standard pharmaceutical forms, including capsules, tablets and syrups.

“We want to change the narrative of drug importation in Nigeria. We must develop our medicines locally and export them,” he said.

The professor added that one of the newly launched products has the potential to create about 3.5 million jobs when fully commercialised across its value chain.

Providing details of the newly unveiled products, Emeje said Namdavir was developed from indigenous medicinal plants for the treatment of Hepatitis B, while Namdacid is designed for the management of peptic ulcer disease, one of the country’s most common health conditions.

He appealed to the Federal Government to strengthen research through large-scale clinical trials and support the agency’s commercialisation efforts to position Nigeria as a leading exporter of herbal medicines.