The National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP) has called on the National Assembly (NASS) to speedily pass the National Traditional Medicine Bill for the overall well-being and economic prosperity of the nation.
The national president of NANTMP, Dr. Shaba Maikudi, made the call at the official inauguration of the newly elected executive members of the association on Monday in Abuja.
Maikudi also urged President Bola Tinubu not to delay in assenting to it after the passage, as well as ensuring its effective implementation.
He said the “bill is aimed at sanitizing the profession as well as ensuring the development of the roots and herbs profession, among others.”
Maikudu said that China and India have long enacted traditional medicine laws and are harvesting their dividends locally and internationally.
He said NANTMP was working with some foreign embassies like China, India, and the Republic of Switzerland on some exchange programs on traditional medicine.
“Today, NANTMP remains the foremost trade union in the country, with their presence in all local governments and communities in Nigeria.
“In our new tenure, we have resolved to sustain our dynamic moment by implementing lofty visions that will promote our image, the welfare of our members, and corporate health care for all Nigerians.
“We intend to secure plots of land in Abuja Municipal for a befitting National Secretariat.
”We will lobby state governments to establish traditional medicine boards in all 36 states of the Federation, including the FCT,” he said.
Maikudu said the new executive would also liaise with relevant government agencies for the establishment of the Federal College of Traditional Medicine and Technology to collaborate with research institutions.
He said that efforts would be made to establish a department of traditional African medicine in selected universities across the country.
Maikudu called on practitioners to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Health to promote government policy on data capture for the practitioner to meet with World Health Organization Standards (WHO).
The formal Secretary General of NANTMP, Prof. Mohammed Njawa, advises Nigerians and Africans to be proud of traditional medicine and call it “our heritage and pride.”
Njawa urged Nigerians to fight together to ensure the National Traditional Medicine Bill was passed and implemented.
“Nigerian traditional medicine policy was part of the 2007 policy draft, but after the end of 2022, the policy was not implemented. That’s why we are calling for review, and it has been validated and accepted,” he said.
He said that NANTMP was collaborating with the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Raw Material Research Council to move traditional medicine forward in Nigeria.
He said that traditional medicine would not support the benevolence of foreign traditional medicine.
“We are here to develop our own indigenous medicine, and we are proud of African traditional medicine,” he said.
Senior Scientific Officer, Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Mrs. Aina Folasade, said the ministry’s mandate was to ensure the promotion of the health of the nation through research and innovation.
She said it was also to ensure the promotion of the potential of traditional medicine for the wellbeing of the nation.
”We are aware that FMISt is collaborating with NANTMP, and I pray that through this collaboration you do as expected and even beyond,” he said.
Head of Commerce, High Commission of India in Nigeria, Pranay Sinha, said that India would collaborate with the Ministry of Health, WHO, and the National Traditional Institute for the establishment of a traditional medicine hospital.
“Next time I want to come here, I want to see that traditional medicine in Nigeria has become more established and flourished,” he said.
