Many Nigerians have turned to alternative medicine to meet their health needs, driven by various factors such as perceived effectiveness, cultural beliefs, affordability, and accessibility. For instance, Mr George Emine resorted to alternative medicine when he was diagnosed of end-stage renal disease otherwise known as kidney failure in October, 2021
According to him, what prompted his decision was the fact that the hospital told him to prepare for transplant and from his knowledge as a journalist, he is aware that transplanted kidneys do not last long in their new hosts. “When I was told to go and prepare for transplant by the consultant nephrologist, I began to calculate the cost. Firstly, I’m aware that on an average, a kidney transplant from a living donor can last for 12 to 20 years, while a kidney from a deceased donor typically lasts for 8 to 12 years. However, factors such as the overall health of the donor and the immune system of the receiver could reject the donated kidneys making certain persons need second or third transplants in their life time. Secondly, I needed about N30million for my kidney specification.
“For these two reasons, I had to seek for an alternative and more reliable solution to my failed kidneys because even if I would have been able to raise the N30 million if I had created a gofundme account, the stakes were just too high for me to gamble with such a huge amount. So I immediately sought for alternative remedy and by September of 2023, both my kidneys were in perfect condition, further strengthening my belief in alternative medicine.”
Similarly, Malam Aliyu Madaki, a civil servant, shared his experience with alternative medicine when conventional treatments failed to improve his health condition.
“I attended a conventional hospital in Abuja for more than four years. From one prescription to the other, yet I was not healed. It was a friend who advised me to try alternative medicine. Now, with the use of medicinal products like Arabian black seed, olive oil, garlic, ginger and others, I am regaining strength and getting better by the day,” he said.
Albeit the growing popularity of traditional and alternative therapies, Nigeria’s broader healthcare financing remains a challenge. While the Abuja Declaration, signed in 2001, urged African Union, AU member states to allocate at least 15 per cent of their national budgets to the health sector, this target remains largely unmet by most countries.
An AU report revealed that many African governments are falling short of their health financing commitments, including the Abuja Declaration benchmark. “While some countries like Rwanda, Botswana, and Cabo Verde have consistently met or exceeded the 15 per cent target, many others allocate significantly less, some as low as 5 to 7 per cent,” the report noted.
It further warned that chronic underfunding, combined with high out-of-pocket health expenditures by citizens, continues to hinder progress towards universal health coverage and effective healthcare delivery.
In addition, a UN Trade and Development report indicates that over 70 per cent of Africa’s medicines are imported, as most AU member countries lack domestic pharmaceutical production capacity. Pharmaceutical demand is rising rapidly across Africa, driven by population growth and evolving health needs.
However, alternative medicine offers a holistic approach to health, as it is often considered more affordable and culturally familiar, with fewer side effects and a focus on personalised care.
Stakeholders believe the future of alternative medicine in Nigeria holds great promise, especially with increasing recognition, integration efforts, and research into traditional and complementary therapies. The country already has regulatory bodies in place to ensure quality control and efficient service delivery in the health sector.
For instance, the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, NIPRD, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, which regulates and monitors products that affect public health, while the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, PCN, as well as other regulatory agencies have a lot to do in this regard.
Analysts argue that if these agencies can overcome challenges related to regulation, standardisation, and scientific validation, Nigeria could become a major player in both local and alternative pharmaceutical markets.
At the 2023 African Traditional Medicine Day, the then Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa, revealed that a significant percentage of Nigerians already rely on traditional medicine. “Studies have shown that traditional medicine use in Nigeria is as high as 81.6 per cent, and this is not expected to decline, especially given the predicted rise in the global burden of diseases,” he said.
Health experts note that Nigeria’s large population and widespread access to these forms of medicine provide a ready market that should be fully explored. A National Institutes of Health review showed that between 5 per cent and 74.8 per cent of people globally use complementary and alternative medicine, with 62.5 per cent using at least one method.
Professionals suggest that with the right policy framework, Nigeria can effectively expand the use of alternative medicine. They also note that while alternative therapies may have side effects, these are often incomparable to those of conventional treatments. That is why health professionals continue to advocate for a structured approach to integrating alternative medicine into the healthcare system, noting its growing use and potential public health benefits.
For instance, Prof. Ahmed Sule of the University of Jos noted the untapped potential of Nigeria’s rich medicinal plant resources. He argued that increased funding for ethnobotanical research and scientific validation could help commercialise safe remedies and reduce the country’s dependency on imported pharmaceuticals. “With the right investment, Nigeria can build a thriving herbal medicine industry that supports local health needs and economic growth,” he said.
Having spent about four decades researching into Traditional, Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, TCAM, with scores of papers published in reputable health journals and peer reviewed, Benjamin Amodu, a 1980 graduate of Industrial Pharmacy from Nigeria’s prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a professor of phytomedicine from the Triune Biblical University, USA, is no doubt a leading advocate for the use of alternative medicine.
Speaking on the perceived lack of sufficient research and regulation in the field of TCAM, he said: “As I speak to you, we currently have 39 publications in very high impact medical journals. For instance, my work with Professor Emeje on SABMAL, was investigated across the 156 Commonwealth countries to see if it was copied from any previous work, but it was discovered and subsequently certified to be original to us, and this product is domiciled in South Africa. So I don’t think anybody has any reason to hide under the notion that there’s limited work done in this field in terms of research publications for its standardisation.
“There are areas like Parkinson’s disease where even the World Health Organisation, WHO, is yet to find a way to go about the treatment, but where we already have publications showing that our combination of about four of our products that can be used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease which our patients are already using with profound results. So I think we are doing very well.
“Also, in the area of heart enlargement, we have had cases where patients were to be sent to India for open heart surgery, but they commenced our medication while still awaiting their due dates, and the situation got resolved without any surgery.”
He added that though they may not have had the support from the government, but at his facility, the Nigerian people are not waiting for the government to tell them to either accept our medications or not. “Since many patients we have treated with our products and have been cured of the ailments keep talking about and announcing for others to know, we haven’t had a short supply of patients who either come to us themselves or through family members and other caregivers.”
He further stated that his medications are well accepted, both at home and abroad. “We have been sending our herbal medicines to Ghana, Cameroon, Egypt, South Africa and many other African countries, and even to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Kingdom, USA, France, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Canada and virtually everywhere around the world without any issues. We have been sending them to these places via DHL and we haven’t had any issues whatsoever.
“So if the USA, UK, Canada and all these other countries can accept our treatment, plus those at home here in Nigeria, then I can confidently say that my products are well recognised and accepted across the world,” he concluded.
Given the rising costs of healthcare and the increasing trend of medical tourism, the propagation of alternative medicine within Nigeria’s health system could offer a viable and affordable option similar to practices in China, India, the Middle East, South Asia, Canada, Singapore, the USA, all over Europe, and Latin American countries.
