By Emmanuel Elebeke

Former Governor of Rivers State, Celestine Omehia, Tuesday tasked the National Assembly to initiate bills that would lead to enactment of laws for establishment of herbal medicine institutions and research centres in Nigerian universities.

The former Governor, gave the charge at the 8th edition of HerbFest organised by Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme (BDCP), Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA) and International Centre for Ethno-Medicine and Drug Development (InterCEDD), Federal Institute of Research Oshodi (FIRO) in collaboration with other partners.

Omehia said there has been very slow movement in the establishment of herbal institutions and departments in different universities and other institutions of higher learning in Nigeria and called for immediate action for establishment such institutions at various institutions of higher learning in the country as practiced in Ghana and developed nations.

He also called for establishment of pharmaceutical part of the medical sections as well to ensure a comprehensive learning process and service delivery.
The theme of the event is: Food as Medicine: Utilization and Sustainable Exploitation of African Medicinal Plants and Natural Products.

According to him, the establishment of herbal institutions and production of herbal medicine in Nigeria will be to the benefit of the country by becoming a source of revenue and source of well-being of the people at lower and affordable cost.

‘‘I reason that what we heard about herbal medicine today is different from what we have been hearing about orthodox medicine. As a country, from papers presented, we have heard new ideas, which have indicated that there has been very slow movement in the establishment of herbal institutions and departments in different universities and other institutions of higher learning.

‘‘Other countries like Ghana has stolen the show in leading Africa in herbal medicine and establishment of institution, college of medicine and Nigeria is yet to establish one.

‘‘I think Nigeria should establish both the pharmaceutical part of it and medical part as well. It is a thing that is absolutely necessary to have herbal institutions in Nigerian universities. I think that people who are fighting for this establishment are not fighting selfish battle but are doing this for the benefits of this country.

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