Nigeria unveils seven indigenous herbal medicines for cancer, hepatitis B, hypertension

The federal government has unveiled seven locally developed herbal medicines designed to treat and manage ailments including cancers, hepatitis B, hypertension, peptic ulcer disease and high cholesterol. The products, developed by the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), were officially launched in Lagos by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh.

NNMDA disclosed that it has developed more than 22 herbal products from indigenous medicinal plants since 2023. The agency said the initiative aims to provide affordable, locally sourced healthcare solutions for Nigerians.

Government support and plans for research centre

Speaking at the unveiling, Udeh said Nigeria possesses thousands of medicinal plants with enormous potential to tackle pressing health challenges if properly researched and commercialised. He noted that traditional medicine has served communities for centuries and pledged federal government support to remove obstacles limiting the agency's growth.

The minister announced plans to establish a Clinical Observational Research Centre at the agency's Lagos headquarters. He promised to explore alternative funding sources rather than waiting for the 2027 budget. Udeh also commended NNMDA for its research into treatments for malaria, sickle cell disease, diabetes, erectile dysfunction and other diseases.

According to Udeh, Nigeria has the capacity to build a multi-billion-dollar natural medicine industry that can meet local healthcare needs while generating export revenue and creating jobs.

The seven products and their uses

NNMDA Director-General, Prof. Martins Emeje, said advances in scientific research and standardisation have strengthened confidence in herbal medicine by ensuring proper dosage, quality and safety. He explained the seven products unveiled:

Namdavir – developed for the management of Hepatitis B virus.
Namdacid – formulated for treating peptic ulcer disease.
Turmegol – designed for the prevention and management of colorectal, ovarian and prostate cancers.
Namdorol – developed to lower high cholesterol and support hypertension management.
Namgor – a natural aphrodisiac.
Zobo Tea – produced for hypertension management.
Another indigenous herbal formulation – developed as part of the agency's expanding natural medicine programme.

Emeje said laboratory investigations indicate that Turmegol has shown potential to slow cancer progression and eliminate early-stage cancer cells. He stressed the importance of continued scientific validation and expanded clinical research.

The NNMDA boss disclosed that one of the newly launched products could create as many as 3.5 million jobs when fully commercialised across its value chain. He urged the federal government to accelerate clinical trials by establishing the proposed research centre, calling it critical to advancing research and gaining wider acceptance for Nigeria's natural medicines.

International collaboration and what it means

India's Consul General in Lagos, Shri Kannan, called for stronger collaboration between Nigeria and India in traditional medicine, medicinal plant research, scientific validation, quality assurance and biodiversity conservation. He said both countries possess centuries-old healing traditions and rich biodiversity that can be leveraged to develop innovative healthcare solutions while expanding economic opportunities in the natural medicine sector.

For Nigerian businesses and consumers, this development signals a potential shift towards cheaper, locally sourced alternatives to imported drugs. If successfully commercialised and backed by clinical trials, these herbal products could reduce healthcare costs, create thousands of jobs across farming, processing and distribution value chains, and strengthen the naira by slashing medical import bills. The challenge remains scaling production and winning public trust through rigorous scientific validation.