IADS Inaugurates Traditional Medicine And Practice Research Hub

Director of the institute, Professor Falaiye

The Institute of African and Diaspora Studies (IADS), University of Lagos, in avowed determination to reconfigure African Studies, and promote research for integration, have commissioned a research hub and herbal Sauna.

The construction is in collaboration with Gbogbonise Ltd.

The conference is with the theme: Traditional Medicine; Research and Development.

Speaking at the opening of a two- day conference tagged Traditional Medicine Day/Exhibition 2024, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, Director of the institute, Prof Muyiwa Falaiye underscored the importance of the efficacy of traditional medicine and efforts put in by researchers of the institute.

“Today, we are inaugurating a Traditional Medicine Research and Practice Hub, the first of its kind in any Nigerian university.

“Traditional medicine is a very important aspect of medicare. Over the years, people have neglected traditional medicine, while embracing western medicine. Yes, there is nothing wrong with western medicine, but all of us should realise that before western medicine came, Africans also had ways and means of treating their diseases and illnesses.

“The IADS is just about seven years in existence but we have continued to push the envelope with the kind of research projects we have embarked upon, engaging with our funders and partners in the industry to produce research outputs that are useful to the society.

With the establishment of these facilities, the IADS is making history in the development and promotion of African traditional medicine; and it’s a matter of time before the full significance of what we are doing here today becomes evident to all,” he said.

According to him, a lot of traditional African medicine has followed processes that equates western medicine as well, adding that there are regulatory bodies that ensures that the quality of herbal medicine that comes out of Africa or Nigeria or out of ‘our herbs’, is up to standard.

“We should also know that there is a continuum between western and Africa medicine. Over the years, we have seen that the herbs that surrounds us has potential capacity to cure a whole lot of illnesses and that is what we are trying to draw attention to, today.

“It is part of our responsibility at the IADS to do advocacy about things that have benefits for black people, Africans and Nigerians

“I am of the view that a lot of distrust for traditional medicine stems from the wrong notion that a lot of traditional medicine is attached to ‘juju’ and things like it. That’s not traditional medicine, we are not diviners, we are not diviners, we are only using natural herbs to process and make medicine that can cure diseases,” he said

The director noted that traditional medicine had been phenomenal without persons realizing and understanding it.

Prof. Falaiye added that a lot of western medical practitioners had realised that competition between the two was unnecessary because both of them served one purpose; Prevention and Cure of diseases.

“So, the take home message here is for us to patronize traditional medicine because the importance and impact is as good and natural as the western and because most of them are natural and not synthetic, they do not largely have negative effects on the body,” he said.

He lauded the pioneering effort of a Senior Research Fellow at the institute, Dr. Akin Otiko, for championing the idea of the research hub, describing it as “proof of the relevance of researchers at the IADS and their abilities to address the issues of the day with their work.

On his part, the Registrar, Lagos Traditional Medicine Board, Mr. Babatunde Adele, said the research agenda of the board in the future, was tailored in the direction of integrating traditional complementary and alternative medicine into the healthcare systems of the state, at the primary healthcare level.

Adele who was the keynote speaker at the event was represented by Mr Bello Hakeem.

According to him, traditional medicine has been the backbone of African health systems for centuries and if well catered to and standardised, has immense potentials for the delivery of adequate healthcare services, to a larger number of Nigerians, especially at the primary health care level.

“The study will interrogate the process of integrating selected traditional complimentary and alternative practices into the existing healthcare systems at the primary healthcare level in the state.

“The study shall also consider the appropriate model of integration. Pilot schemes shall be carried out for appropriateness, mainstreaming, effectiveness and reproductivity,” he said.

The registrar added that for a longe time, Lagos State had recognized the importance of standardised Traditional Medicine practice.

“That is why, over 40 years ago, the administration of Alhaji Lateef Jakande established the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board to regulate and promote it. Today, we have over 6,000 practitioners of Traditional Medicine trained and registered with us,” he stated.

He called for more support from both government and private, for traditional medicine research and development, highlighting its practitioners as being faithful to the healthcare aspirations of the country compared to orthodox medicine practitioners, with a higher tendency to “Japa” – migrate for greener pastures.