The Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA) has commenced the development of a comprehensive national database of traditional medicine practitioners as part of efforts to standardise and strengthen the sector.
The Director-General of the agency, Professor Martins Emeje, disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Abuja. He spoke shortly after his appointment in December 2025 as Co-Chair of the World Health Organisation’s Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (STAG-TM).
Professor Emeje said the initiative was driven by the agency’s recognition of the need to properly index and regulate traditional medicine practitioners across the country. According to him, creating a national database would help bring order to the sector, improve accountability, and enhance the credibility of traditional medicine practice in Nigeria.
He noted that traditional medicine plays a critical role in the country’s healthcare system, estimating that about 80 per cent of Nigerians—over 160 million people—depend on it, particularly residents of rural communities with limited access to orthodox healthcare services.
Emeje explained that the planned database would not only strengthen regulation but also increase the visibility of Nigeria’s natural medicine products and practices on the global stage. He expressed confidence that his new role at the World Health Organisation would provide an opportunity to further advance the development, acceptance, and integration of traditional medicine in Nigeria and across Africa.