The Federal Government unveils locally developed treatments targeting cancer, hepatitis B, hypertension and other conditions while pursuing commercialisation and clinical research
The Federal Government has unveiled seven locally developed herbal medicines targeting major health conditions, including prostate and colorectal cancers, hepatitis B, peptic ulcer disease, hypertension and high cholesterol, in a fresh push to strengthen Nigeria’s pharmaceutical innovation and reduce dependence on imported medicines.
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The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, unveiled the products during an official visit to the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA) in Lagos on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, where he also met pharmaceutical industry leaders to explore ways of commercialising the medicines.
The development marks a significant step in the Federal Government’s efforts to harness Nigeria’s extensive medicinal plant resources and turn indigenous knowledge into standardised healthcare products capable of serving local communities and competing in international markets.
According to the NNMDA, more than 22 herbal products have been developed from indigenous medicinal plants since 2023, reflecting an expanding research effort aimed at finding locally sourced solutions to the country’s healthcare challenges.
Dr Udeh said Nigeria’s rich biodiversity, which includes thousands of medicinal plants, presents an enormous opportunity for scientific research, pharmaceutical manufacturing and economic development if the resources are properly harnessed.
He noted that traditional medicine had served indigenous communities for centuries and said the Federal Government was prepared to address the institutional challenges limiting the agency’s ability to expand its work.
The minister also pledged to facilitate the establishment of a Clinical Observational Research Centre requested by the agency, alongside efforts to address its funding constraints.
“The resolution after the meeting with captains of industry in the pharmaceutical sector is that Nigeria has the potential to produce and export natural medicines worth billions of dollars,” Dr Udeh said.
“Billions of naira can also be generated by the agency through the production of natural medicines while meeting the healthcare needs of Nigerians.”
The minister said the government would pursue alternative funding options to establish the proposed research centre rather than waiting for allocations from the 2027 budget.
“We are going to move immediately and innovatively after this unveiling to establish the Clinical Observational Research Centre without waiting for funding from the 2027 budget,” he said.
“We are going to identify alternative ways of generating funds to build the centre.”
The proposed centre is expected to strengthen the scientific evaluation of natural medicines and support the clinical research needed to move promising products from laboratory development towards broader medical application.
Presenting the agency’s work and research activities, NNMDA Director-General, Professor Martins Emeje, said the development of standardised dosage forms had helped address longstanding concerns about the consistency and administration of herbal medicines.
Professor Emeje, who is also Co-Chair of the World Health Organisation’s Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine, said natural medicines were increasingly being produced in forms such as capsules, tablets and syrups.
The agency’s director-general said the focus was now on changing Nigeria’s longstanding dependence on imported medicines by developing products locally and creating opportunities for exports.
“We want to change the narrative of drug importation in Nigeria. We must develop our medicines and export them,” Emeje said.
He added that one of the products unveiled had the potential to create 3.5 million jobs if it was fully developed across the value chain, although further commercial development and validation would be required before such economic projections could be realised.
Among the products unveiled was Namdavir, a natural medicine developed from an indigenous medicinal plant for hepatitis B.
The agency also introduced Namdacid for the management of peptic ulcer disease, a condition Emeje described as a significant health challenge in Nigerian communities.
Another product, Turmegol, was presented as a natural medicine developed from Nigerian medicinal plants for the management and prevention of cancers, including colorectal, ovarian and prostate cancers.
Emeje said the product had shown potential in scientific investigations to inhibit cancer progression or eliminate early cancer cells, claims that will require appropriate clinical evaluation and regulatory assessment before any broader therapeutic conclusions can be drawn.
The agency also unveiled Namdorol, which it said was developed to support the management of high cholesterol and hypertension.
Other products presented included Namgor, described by the agency as an aphrodisiac, and Zobo Tea, which was presented for the management of hypertension.
The unveiling reflects the NNMDA’s broader efforts to transform medicinal plants into standardised products while strengthening research into conditions such as malaria, sickle cell disease, erectile dysfunction and diabetes.
Professor Emeje called for deeper government investment in research and clinical trials, particularly through the establishment of the proposed Clinical Observational Research Centre at the agency’s headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The push for commercialisation also brought international interest, with the Consul General of India in Lagos, Shri Kannan, highlighting opportunities for stronger collaboration between Nigeria and India in traditional and complementary medicine.
Kannan identified potential areas of cooperation including medicinal plant research, scientific validation, standardisation and quality assurance, biodiversity conservation, capacity building, academic exchanges, entrepreneurship and natural-product innovation.
“India and Nigeria are two ancient civilisations blessed with rich biodiversity, deep cultural heritage and centuries-old healing traditions,” Kannan said.
He said both countries possessed valuable indigenous knowledge systems that had served their populations for generations and could continue contributing to modern healthcare when supported by scientific research and appropriate quality standards.
The latest unveiling comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s long-running efforts to reduce dependence on imported pharmaceuticals and strengthen domestic production.
The government and health sector stakeholders have increasingly focused on local pharmaceutical manufacturing as a way to improve medicine security, reduce exposure to foreign exchange pressures and build a more resilient healthcare supply chain.
However, the transition from promising herbal research to widely accepted medicines requires rigorous scientific validation, clinical trials, regulatory approval, quality control and sustainable commercial production.
The Federal Government’s commitment to establishing a dedicated clinical research centre could therefore prove crucial to determining the safety, efficacy and appropriate use of the products developed by the NNMDA.
For the agency, the ambition extends beyond producing medicines for Nigeria.
By combining indigenous medicinal knowledge with modern scientific research and standardisation, officials hope to build a competitive natural medicine industry capable of meeting local healthcare needs, creating jobs and opening new export opportunities.
The seven newly unveiled products consequently represent more than a collection of herbal remedies.
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They form part of a broader and potentially transformative effort to position Nigeria’s natural resources and scientific expertise at the centre of a stronger domestic pharmaceutical industry.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
