Taken with my camera
If you are a Nigerian who has never experienced herbal medicine, consider yourself fortunate. I still vividly recall the pungent odor of cashew leaves, mango leaves, dogon yaro (neem), and guava leaves boiling in a large pot over the firewood stove outside our house. It was repulsive, and the taste was equally as unpleasant as the smell, but I had to drink it in order to cure my malaria. I can't say for sure if it was the herbs or the three-day course of chloroquine injections that actually cured me.
Africans rely on various types of herbs, and I often wonder if they have conducted laboratory tests on the leaves and bark of trees to identify the active ingredients, or if it's simply a trial-and-error process. Perhaps someone miraculously recovered from a particular disease after consuming a specific vegetable or herb, but I'm not entirely sure how it works. What truly perplexes me is the claim that one herbal product can cure everything. Seriously! They even go around the markets with their microphones, advertising that a single herbal mixture can cure STDs, HIV, erectile dysfunction, and much more. How is that even possible? And yet, people continue to purchase these products every day, while the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) fails to confiscate them.
Why Am I Ranting Though?
I don't mean to belittle the role of herbs in modern medicine; in fact, I prefer to less processed food and always add mint leaf to my water for medicinal purposes.
Taken with my camera
Taken with my camera
However, I believe we should put more effort into producing valuable items that can lead to our success. Besides oil, what else can we boast about exporting? Many countries frustrate our exporters due to the influx of substandard products, despite the presence of our Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), which is supposed to ensure quality is maintained at all times.
Nevertheless, I don't wish to engage in a blame game. Instead, I decided to reflect upon myself and determine whether I too am contributing to substandard practices. After all, they say charity begins at home. Before an entire country can achieve greatness, its individuals must also take responsibility. A friend of mine who works as a sound engineer traveled to Mauritania to film a movie and told me that they didn't come across a single rifle throughout their stay there, not even with the police. I don't know if it's entirely true, but it suggests that their security is well maintained. They were also strictly prohibited from using rifles for their movie beyond a certain location, with monitoring in place to ensure compliance. Another example is the Asian or Chinese people; have you noticed how immaculate they are? The recent World Cup showcased their organizational skills, cleanliness, and orderliness to the world.
I refuse to wait for my country to get its act together. I want to initiate change in my own small way, improving aspects that require attention. There is no excuse for incompetence; everyone has a role to play. Given that I already hold a degree in botany, perhaps I should explore herbal medicine and challenge those in the field to elevate their standards. I wish I could pursue this path, but the number of grant proposals waiting to be submitted (my day job) prevents me from doing so. Instead, I will focus on enhancing my proposal writing skills, convincing more foundations to provide funding for improved healthcare access, so the organization I work for can improve health outcomes for vulnerable people.
Hopefully, someone who reads this will take up the mantle of advancing herbal medicine with greater competence. It might be you! Imagine the amount of money one can make from such a venture, a better herbal product with a specific use. In fact, a better packaging would do magic. I might be tempted to try Agbo-Jedi if it’s well packaged, although, I don’t believe in Jedi-Jedi (topic for another day).
Created by me on Canva
