Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
The Vice-chairman of Traditional Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (TMPN) for the South-west zone, Prince Sakariyat Oyedeji Mabro, has declared that the prospects of traditional medicines in terms of revenue generation was more than oil if properly harnessed.
He argued that countries like India and China strengthened their Gross National Product (GNP) and term of trade through heavy investment in herbal medicine.
Mabro, in an exclusive interview with THISDAY explained that the comparative cost advantage of Nigeria in the traditional medical sub-sector was far more than that of India and China, adding that total concentration on oil sector has weakened the consciousness of looking inward for alternative means of generating revenues.
According to him, traditional medical practitioners had solutions to thousands of ailment plaguing millions of people around the world, which could generate millions of dollars as revenues for Nigeria.
Mabro added that Nigeria was at vantage position in Africa to dominate every sector going by her huge natural endowment and millions of creative minds.
He also called on the federal government to quickly pass the long awaited Herbal Practitioners Bill to give more opportunities for herbal practice in Nigeria.
“I believe herbal medicine in Nigeria needs to be promoted by governments at all levels. It has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that our traditional cure system has capacity to solve array of medical problems confronting people around the world. “The inherent capacity of our traditional medicine to cure several ailments around the globe should be optimally explored and transformed to huge foreign earnings.
“Many Asian countries like India and China are generating millions of dollar from exporting their traditional medical products across the world; Nigeria is really lagging behind in that wise.
“Government can do a lot better by investing in the sector and providing credit facilities for its practitioners to improve on their products through research, as we hope that the Herbal Practitioners Bill will be passed in earnest,” he said.
Mabro however advocated for virile opposition to ensure good governance and strengthen democracy the more in Nigeria . He appealed to the leading opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to put it’s house together and position itself as Government in waiting .
