Prof. Maurice Iwu, Chairman, Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme (BDCP), has said that Nigeria has what it takes to diversify her economy through earnings from traditional and herbal medicines,
Iwu, who is the Chairman, Organising Committee of Herbal, Health Food and Natural Expo (HERBFEST) 2015, made the assertion on Thursday.
The Expo with the theme "Food as a Medicine: Utilization and Sustainable Exploitation of African Medicinal Plants and Natural Products’’ will hold in Abuja from Oct.6 - Oct.8, 2015.
According to Iwu, "with the lowered income from petroleum and the need to diversify our economy... Herbal medicine is an area where many countries are looking at, yet we have not looked into this area to any significant level.
"Nigeria is so endowed that we should be able to compete with other countries in adding to our income stream things that come out from herbal products.
"We know what happens in China, a lot of people in this country buy products from them and also India where people buy a lot of food supplements,’’ Iwu added
"This event [HERBFEST 2015] will help indigenous manufacturers to interface with foreign businessmen and see how they can do their businesses together.
"We are hoping that one day, herbal medicine practitioners will be able to look at the global trend and key into scientific traditional trend.
"We are convinced that traditional medicine is the key into the future of Nigerian health system,’’ Iwu said.
"We depend too much on consumption of foreign products, especially herbal foods in spite of the fact that government has well laid out policy encouraging herbal practice and production.
"It is dangerous to eat food that is not processed in Nigeria because there is no way they can bring it in even from closest neighbouring state without putting chemicals into it.’’
"Most of these foods imported to Nigeria are preserved with chemicals which increases the risk of cancer. When you mix chemicals together to form a product for consumption, it leads to ill health.
"We should stop these abuses of package foods,’’ Iwu further added.
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