Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Dr. Obi Adigwe, has declared that Nigeria is poised to transition from the periphery to the forefront of the global phytomedicine market.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Ministerial Committee on the Commercialization of Phytomedicines Development on Monday, May 5, 2025, Adigwe stated, “It is unacceptable for a country as richly endowed as Nigeria to continue playing at the periphery of this strategic sector.
He emphasized that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s broader health sector reforms, including the Presidential Initiative to Unlock Value Chains and the Executive Order on Pharma and Allied Sectors.
The newly inaugurated Ministerial Committee, chaired by Dr. Adigwe, comprises stakeholders from key sectors including the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the World Health Organisation, World Bank, academia, and traditional medicine practitioners.
According to Adigwe, their task “transcends advisory functions; it is transformational,” as the committee aims to fully integrate Nigeria into the $500 billion global phytomedicine market.
The committee will focus on commercialization strategies that are “sustainable, competitive, multi-faceted and inclusive,” leveraging local resources and expertise.
Highlighting NIPRD’s achievements, Adigwe referenced the internationally recognized Contextual Processing Protocol (CPP), which empowers rural women and youth to ethically process indigenous plants into medicinal products.
He also pointed to ongoing efforts to establish Regional Centres of Excellence across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones as a means to decentralize innovation and stimulate local economies.
“We will create high-value employment, build robust capacity, secure revenue streams, and, above all, improve health outcomes for our citizens,” he concluded, pledging full commitment to the committee’s mandate.
COMPOSITION COMMITTEE OF THE MINISTERIAL
- a) Dr Obi Adigwe (Director General, NIPRD)-Chairman
- b) Director (TCAM), FMOHSW-Co-Chair
- c) Medicines and Phytomedicines Manufacturers Representatives
- d) Traditional Medicines Practitioners Representative
- e) World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative
- f) Development Partners Representatives (World Bank)
- g) Academia (ACEPRD, Unijos)
- h) Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) Rep
- i) National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Representative
- j) National Forestry Research Institute (FRIN) Representative
- k) Pharm. Olalekan Asuni
1) Dr. Adeola Adeyeye
- m) Senior Technical Assistant to the HMSH
- n) Technical Assistant to the HMSH
- o) SA (Biosafety) to the HMSH-Secretary
