“I Was Raised with ‘Agbo’, I Didn’t Die” – NAFDAC DG

… Calls for Support on Herbal Medicine Trials

Director-General of Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye

has called for increased support to fund clinical trials on herbal medicines, stressing the importance of scientific validation to ensure their safety and efficacy.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, Adeyeye highlighted the challenges faced by the agency in conducting trials due to the high costs involved. “The reality is that clinical trials are very costly, and without financial support from the government or private institutions, it will be difficult to carry them out,” she said.

Adeyeye, a professor by training, shared her personal connection to traditional remedies, recalling her childhood experience with herbal treatments. “I was raised with Agbo (herbs), and I didn’t die. Herbal medicine is very effective, but we need to know the right dosage and potential risks,” she explained. However, she emphasised that while herbal products may offer benefits, they cannot be approved for use without clinical trials.

NAFDAC has thousands of herbal products in its database, but many remain untested due to the financial burden of trials. “We have to conduct proper research to understand the toxic components and exact quantities required for safety,” she said.

Despite these challenges, Adeyeye expressed optimism, noting that NAFDAC is actively seeking grants to fund these trials. “If we can get five herbal medicines in our national formulary, it will be a major achievement,” she added.

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