Traditional Vs Herbal Medicine
Traditional medicine involves using natural materials to cure illnesses. These natural materials include herbs(leaves), roots, knots, or any other elements. Whereas herbal medicine involves the cure of diseases using leaves (herbs) only. Some people ask questions like what are the inspirations or boundaries that guide the practice of traditional medicine.

It’s not a well-outlined process like science or normal medicine is. Herbal medicine is a gift still untapped. As a herbalist, you are gifted with inspiration from the supernatural to know what quantity, type, and mixture of leaves and what type of treatment will cure the condition of the person who is seeking answers.

Challenges of Herbal Medicine In Nigeria
While Nigerians use and appreciate herbal medicine, it also faces several challenges that affect its quality, safety, and effectiveness. Some of these challenges include:

1. Lack of Trust
Health Organizations and regulatory bodies don’t exist for herbal medicine yet in Nigeria. And with the risk of familiarity with the herbal system in our surroundings, it’s difficult for people to trust completely what herbal medicine has to offer. Also, the packaging of herbs doesn’t make it easy to trust. Packaging attracts people, that’s who we are. As such it is difficult to sell the person the efficiency or potency of the herbs against the regular over-the-counter or doctor’s prescription.

2. People favor western or foreign options
This is not new. A lot of people already think based on track records, once it is foreign it must be authentic and potent. It’s not an entirely faulty mindset and looking at how they have dominance in the market it will take years of unwavering revolution to restore our people’s faith in herbal or traditional medicine again.

3. Lack of regulation
Government or regulatory bodies don’t control herbal medicine in Nigeria. And there are no standard guidelines for the production, quality control, or labeling of herbal products. This lack of regulation can lead to the production and sale of substandard and adulterated herbal products, which can be harmful to consumers.

4. Limited scientific evidence
Although many herbal remedies are common in Nigeria, there is often little scientific evidence to support their efficacy and safety. This lack of scientific evidence can make it difficult for healthcare providers to recommend herbal remedies and can lead to misuse or overuse of certain remedies.

5. Limited access to information
Many Nigerians lack access to reliable information about herbal medicine, including its benefits and risks, and how to use it safely. This lack of information can lead to the inappropriate use of herbal medicines and potential harm.

6. Poor infrastructure
The lack of adequate infrastructure, including research facilities and quality control laboratories, can hamper the development of herbal medicine in Nigeria. This can limit the ability of researchers to conduct scientific studies on herbal remedies and ensure their safety and efficacy.

7. Stigmatization
Healthcare providers and the general public, view it as primitive or unscientific. This stigma leads to the underestimation of the value of herbal remedies and hinders their integration into mainstream healthcare.

Overall, addressing these challenges will require a combination of efforts from the government, healthcare providers, and the herbal medicine industry to promote the safe and effective use of herbal medicine in Nigeria.

https://wokenationtv.com/the-current-state-and-future-of-herbal-medicine-in-nigeria.html