In what health analysts are calling a bold shift toward health sector industrialization, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has inaugurated a high-level committee to drive the commercialization of indigenous herbal medicine. The move is aimed at tapping into the multi-billion-dollar global phytomedicine market—one long dominated by countries like China and India.
The initiative, unveiled in Abuja on Sunday, May 5, 2025, is designed to transition Nigeria’s wealth of traditional medicinal knowledge from the informal economy into a globally competitive, value-driven sector.
At the inauguration, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, described the project as “a defining moment” in the country’s efforts to reposition healthcare and leverage natural resources for economic growth. “We are not only preserving our indigenous knowledge,” he said, “we’re building an industry around it.”
A Strategic Move in an Overlooked Sector
For decades, Nigeria’s traditional medicine systems—largely led by rural women, herbalists, and indigenous knowledge keepers—have remained on the fringes of national health policy and economic planning. With this new Phytomedicine Value Chain Initiative, the government is signaling a long-overdue recognition of the sector’s potential.
The newly constituted committee is expected to chart a commercialization framework, identify viable herbal products, and recommend the kind of policy reforms that would encourage private sector investment and cross-sector collaboration.
Experts say if properly executed, the plan could generate thousands of jobs across agriculture, manufacturing, research, and export areas where women and youth stand to benefit significantly.
Aligning Tradition with Science
But the road ahead will not be without challenges. Integrating traditional medicine into modern health systems requires a careful balance between cultural respect and scientific validation. The Ministry has pledged to ensure all developments adhere to World Health Organization (WHO) standards—a nod to safety, quality, and international competitiveness.
“The global herbal medicine industry is worth over $100 billion and growing,” said Dr. Salako. “Nigeria has every resource it needs to be a serious player—what we’ve lacked is structure. That ends now.”
A Potential Boon for Rural Women
This development could be a major win for rural women who have been stewards of traditional medicine for generations, often without recognition or formal support. Advocates for gender equity in health innovation are calling on the government to ensure women-led herbal enterprises and local cooperatives are not left behind in this commercialization push.
For The Moment for Women Magazine, this is more than a health or economic story—it’s a women’s empowerment issue in the making, and we will continue to follow this story closely, with a focus on how the initiative impacts women, traditional practitioners, and local communities across Nigeria.