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BENIN CITY, EDO STATE — Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO) has called for greater public awareness, research and responsible use of Nigeria’s traditional fruits, medicinal plants and herbal remedies, stressing that indigenous knowledge should be preserved and developed without compromising public safety.
The call comes amid renewed national attention on traditional and herbal medicine and the need to bridge indigenous medical knowledge with modern scientific research.
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare currently has a Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) Department, whose responsibilities include promoting indigenous traditional medicine, supporting research and developing standards for assessing the safety, efficacy and quality of herbal medicines. The Ministry’s current policy resources also include a Strategic Plan for Implementation of Traditional Medicine Policy for Nigeria, 2025–2029.
For Edo State, the issue has particular significance. The Edo State Traditional Medicine Board is responsible for the registration and supervision of traditional medicine practitioners and facilities, as well as promoting research into herbs and training in traditional medicine. �
Edo State Government
Research conducted among traditional medicine practitioners in Edo State has also documented the longstanding reliance on traditional medicine and identified the need for stronger laboratory testing, training, modern production facilities, medicinal-plant gardens and improved regulation.
From ancestral knowledge to evidence-based practice
Traditional fruits and medicinal plants—including locally available fruits, leaves, roots, seeds and spices—form an important part of Nigeria's cultural heritage and food practices. Some contain bioactive compounds that are being studied for potential health benefits.
However, health advocates say “natural” should not automatically be interpreted as “safe” or “effective.”
At a recent African Traditional Medicine Day programme, researchers and health experts similarly called for scientific validation, quality control and stronger regulation of herbal products.
This is particularly important because the consequences of improperly prepared or contaminated herbal mixtures can be serious. In September 2026, NAFDAC confirmed deaths and severe illnesses associated with locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions in parts of Ondo State and said investigations and risk-control measures were ongoing.
What Edo CSOs can advocate
EDOCSO and other civil society organisations could use the campaign to call for:
Documentation of Edo's traditional medicinal knowledge before it is lost.
Scientific research into indigenous fruits, herbs and medicinal plants.
Laboratory testing of commonly used herbal preparations.
Registration and proper regulation of herbal products and practitioners.
Public education on correct preparation, dosage, possible side effects and drug interactions.
Protection of traditional knowledge and recognition of indigenous practitioners.
Cultivation and conservation of medicinal plants.
Stronger collaboration between traditional medicine practitioners, universities, researchers, doctors, pharmacists, government agencies and civil society organisations.
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