The Federal Government has urged traditional medicine practitioners to subject their products and practices to modern scientific scrutiny to quench scepticism, calling for investment in research and clinical studies that confirm the safety, efficacy, and quality of traditional medicine remedies.
Minister of State for Health, Dr. Adekunle Salako, who made the call at the commemoration of the 2025 African Traditional Medicine Day in Abuja, stated that strengthening the evidence base for traditional medicine is crucial to ensure its acceptability and integration into the health systems of countries. He added that to achieve this, practitioners must subject their traditional medicine resources to scientific principles of rigorous testing, analysis, and draw replicable conclusions.
“Evidence is the bridge between belief and policy. It is what will allow traditional medicine to move from the periphery to the mainstream of healthcare delivery, not just in Nigeria, but across the continent. Our goal is to promote documentation and standardisation of practices and ultimately the full integration of evidence-based traditional medicine into our national health system.”
