The Eunice Spring of Life Foundation (ESLF) has established a Community Seed Bank at Jato Aka, Kwande Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue, to promote sustainable traditional medicine practices.
ESLF Founder, Dr Eunice Ortom, who inaugurated the bank on Thursday at Jato Aka, said that the aim was to also address biodiversity loss in addition to promoting sustainable medicinal practices among the Ugbe indigenous people of Kwande.
ESLF established the bank with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-Global Environment Facility-Small Grants Programme (UNDP-GEF-SGP).
Ortom, who was represented by ESLF Programme Coordinator Dr Comfort Abaa, said that the motive was also to add value to the practice of traditional medicine for which the people of Ugbe were famous.
She assured that ESLF, in partnership with UNDP-GEF-SGP, would ensure that the bank meets international best practice in terms of production, packaging and marketing.
According to him, it will boost the income of individual practitioners, emphasising that it will also enhance the prosperity of their community and improve the economy of both the state and country at large.
She pointed out that they had partnered with the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to constantly train the traditional medicine practitioners.
The founder stated that the practitioners would be trained on ideal hygienic production processes and the right steps to follow to register and acquire a NAFDAC number in line with standard practices in the country.
Meanwhile, Second Class Chief of Kwande, Chief Timothy Ahile, expressed joy at the inauguration of the community seed bank, which was midwifed by ESLF for the preservation of medicinal herbs in the Moon District of Kwande.
“Today’s event is significant for the fact that we are losing most of the herbs through indiscriminate bush burning and a lot of tree felling.
“What our forefathers used, which are herbs, for medicinal purposes are fast disappearing, but this intervention will help forests to be repopulated with those same herbs.
“Herbs have been assisting our people to address health challenges, and it will go a long way to improve the health of the community,” Ahile said.
Also, the Project Manager of the GEF-SGP Project, Mr Tine Agernor, thanked the various stakeholders and members of the community for supporting the success of the project.
He noted that it would have a significant impact on the community even in the future.
The District Head of Moon, Gabriel Wende, expressed gratitude to the foundation and GEF-SGP for developing and constructing the seed bank for his people and sensitising them about biodiversity conservation.
The Member Representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency, Hon. Terseer Ugbor, represented by his Constituency Office Director, Mr Patrick Pev, described the project as a worthy one worthy of everyone’s support.
The Head of Department of Agriculture, Kwande LGA, Mr Damian Achinge, and the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kwande, Pastor Patrick Chi, all hailed the idea and efforts behind the project.
They called for security in the area to protect the bank.
The Chairman of the Project Implementation Committee, Mr Thaddeus Nyooso, described the project as a health boost and restoration of domestic and global biodiversity.
NAN
