The Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA) says it has developed more than 22 scientifically validated herbal medicines since 2023. The Director-General, Professor Martins Emeje, disclosed this in an interview on Wednesday in Lagos. The agency was established in 1997 to research, develop, document and promote Nigeria’s natural medicine.
Traditional medicine is widely used in Nigeria. It is largely informal and unregulated. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 80% of Africans rely on traditional medicine for primary care. NNMDA has struggled with funding and visibility. In 2026, the Federal Government unveiled seven indigenous herbal medicines developed by the agency. The current figure of 22 builds on that.
Emeje said the agency previously had no oral dosage products to showcase. It has now developed a range of herbal formulations. In July 2026, the Federal Government unveiled seven additional products. They target hepatitis B, peptic ulcer disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, male sexual health disorders and selected cancers.
The products were developed through laboratory analysis, standardisation, safety assessments and efficacy studies. Emeje said the agency is working with regulators on approval and commercialisation. It has established an herbal pharmacy at its Kofo Abayomi facility in Lagos. He described it as the first public herbal pharmacy of its kind in Nigeria.
The agency operates the Nigeria College of Natural Medicine Technology. It has begun digital documentation of traditional medicine practitioners across Nigeria. Emeje was appointed co-chair of the World Health Organization’s advisory group on traditional medicine. The agency is also developing pharmaceutical-grade starch from cassava to reduce import dependence.
Winners: NNMDA, which shows results. Patients, who gain alternatives. Herbal practitioners, who gain recognition. Farmers, who cultivate medicinal plants. The WHO, which gains an African voice. Losers: Importers of pharmaceuticals, who face competition. Unverified herbal sellers, who face scrutiny. Regulators, if approval lags. No serious losers if products are safe.
Bottom Line: Twenty-two herbal medicines validated. Hepatitis, ulcers, hypertension, cancers. NNMDA is building a sector. The products need approval. Nigerians should buy only tested remedies. The agency is moving traditional medicine from informal practice to research-driven industry.