From Kayemo News
The Director-General of the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), Prof. Martins Emeje, has called for greater investment in natural, traditional and indigenous medicine as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system and reduce the country’s dependence on imported pharmaceutical products.
Professor Emeje spoke yesterday in Ado-Ekiti as the guest lecturer at the second induction and oath-taking ceremony of the 2025/2026 Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) graduands of the College of Pharmacy, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD).
The ceremony, which witnessed the induction of 115 pharmacy graduates into the profession, was held under the theme: “Advancing Pharmacy Practice in the 21st Century: Integrating Digital Innovation, One Health and Indigenous Knowledge towards Global Medicine Security”, with 35 of them bagging first class honours.
The DG maintained that communities should pay greater attention to the relationship between diseases and their natural environments, stressing that solutions to many health challenges could be found within the ecosystems where such diseases occur.
He argued that embracing indigenous medicine, when subjected to appropriate scientific research, validation and regulation, could contribute significantly to medicine security, economic development and improved healthcare outcomes.
The NNMDA boss also called on healthcare professionals to embrace traditional methods of fighting diseases, while ensuring that such practices are properly studied and integrated with modern scientific knowledge.
Emeje urged the newly inducted pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to look beyond conventional approaches to disease management by exploring the medicinal resources available within their immediate environments.
His words, “The major contribution you have for the world is to ensure that there is local drug production from the local environment in our society.
“Digital technologies are becoming the core infrastructure for pharmacy. AI, big data, tele-pharmacy and connected systems can convert information into intelligence, prediction and timely action.
“AI should augment professional judgment, not replace accountability. Its safe use requires quality data, validation and others.
“Any disease that is surviving in any environment, the solution to that disease is in the environment. If you don’t know, it’s because you are not efficient.
“Let’s also embrace traditional methods to fight diseases. Nature-based healthcare, or traditional medicine, is healthcare that utilises natural environments and ecosystem-based solutions to improve physical and mental wellbeing.
“It will not only create self-sustaining health ecosystems that improve health outcomes, but also retain capital, create high-quality local jobs and boost economic growth through the localisation of pharmaceutical production, medical technology and research.
“It will also reduce dependence on imported drugs, preserve indigenous knowledge, promote the sustainable use of biodiversity and promote preventive healthcare”.
Inducting the graduating students, Registrar of Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Ibrahim Babashehu urged them to uphold the highest ethical standards and exemplary leadership principles established by PCN in the unwavering pursuit of excellence in pharmaceutical services for the advancement of sustainable healthcare delivery.
In her address, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Smaranda Olarinde tasked the inductees to uphold the pillars of integrity, commitment and always place premium on the wellbeing of patients.
The Provost of College of Pharmacy, Professor Mbang Femi-Oyewo also admonished the inductees to pursue competence, protect their integrity, practise with empathy, embrace innovation, swerve humanity and be godly in their daily endeavours.