News

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has reiterated the call for stronger collaboration between academia and herbal practitioners. He urged a shift towards product-oriented research that moves “beyond academic exercises” to develop viable, home-grown health solutions.

This pertinent call to action was reiterated at a landmark gathering of over 200 Scientists, Clinicians, Pharmacists, Chemists Herbal Practitioners, and Policymakers in order to advance and standardize herbal medicine in Nigeria and Africa. The historic event, the Maiden International Conference & Workshop of the African Centre for Herbal Research, Ilorin (ACHRI), was held from December 8-11 at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, under the theme “Heralding Holistic Healing and Health Through Herbs – 5Hs.” ACHRI is a product of U6+ consortium of some universities.

Speaking at the event, the ACHRI coordinator informed that the conference was as a crucial multidisciplinary platform bridging the gap between traditional knowledge and modern scientific rigor. Participants from Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Ghana, India, Cameroon, and beyond participated physically or virtually in a packed agenda of keynote speeches, plenary sessions, panel discussions, and hands-on workshops.

This sentiment was echoed in the keynote address by Emeritus Professor Anthony J. Afolayan of South Africa’s University of Fort Hare, who spoke on “Globalizing Tropical Medicine.” The plenary sessions delved into critical topics such as the biochemical mechanisms of herbs, their efficacy and safety, and their powerful role in integrative oncology. A core component of the event was a series of practical workshops designed to build essential skills across the herbal medicine value chain which include Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and Metabolite Stability.

Speaking at the panel session, a nephrologist at the UITH, Prof. Timothy Olanrewaju reiterated the need for evidence-based research to establish the efficacy and safety herbal products in order to avoid side effects particularly on the kidney.

The rigorous discussions at the conference coalesced to actionable recommendations, including: strengthening herbal research; promoting multidisciplinary studies to validate the mechanisms of action of herbal compounds, support clinical trials, enhancing regulation: mandating Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) and cGMP to ensure quality from farm to final product, alongside improved adverse-event monitoring, establishing a national/regional network to harmonize standards, share best practices, and encourage the integration of validated herbal products into national health systems as well as boosting public awareness by launching sensitization campaigns on the proper use, dosage, and potential interactions of herbal remedies.

The ACHRI Organizing Committee chair, Dr. N. S. Njinga of the faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences confirmed that a communiqué of the resolutions is being circulated to all stakeholders and policymakers. The inaugural conference has successfully laid a foundation for a more robust, evidence-based, and collaborative future for herbal medicine in Africa, aiming to unlock its full potential for holistic health.

Prof. O. Atolani

ACHRI Coordinator