The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora has said that the development of Traditional Medicine is key to affordable drugs in the country.

Dr. Adeleke stated this in Lagos during his familiarization tour of the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA).

The Minister pointed out that the essence of development of traditional medicine is to avail alternative, safe and affordable drugs to Nigerians for the various health challenges in the country.

He noted that traditional medicine though unrefined, addresses the issue of health problems of our forefathers.

The establishment of a medical plant market where original plants and seeds can be made available for professionals to process and produce drugs will effectively support our quest for the provision of adequate drugs in our health care centers in the country, he said.

While also calling on the Agency to be more committed to achieving health for all through traditional and alternative medicine, Dr. Adeleke charged the Agency to protect the intellectual property of scientists to avoid being pirated by dubious people.

The Minister commended the NNMDA on its achievement of construction of office blocks, establishment of various laboratories, and experimental pesticide plant farms in the six geopolitical zones of the country despite the paucity of funds and said that the federal government will ensure improvement in the funding of the Agency.

The Director-General of NNMDA, Dr. Samuel Oghene Etatuvie while speaking earlier disclosed that the Agency has made remarkable strides in the areas of research and promotion of cultivation of medicinal aromatic and raw materials among others.

He explained that NNMDA has produced standard, affordable and safe medicines used in treating hypertension, glaucoma, livestock tick disease and many others. Some of the discoveries, he said, have been sent to NAFDAC for proper processing that were necessary for final production, packaging, and consumption.

Dr. Samuel, a pharmacist lamented that poor funding has retarded the progress of processing strategic equipment, proper training and retraining of officers, expansion of research and Innovation (R&I) and appealed to the minister to intervene in improving the funding of the Agency.