By Ijeoma Olorunfemi
The Nigerian Natural Medicines Development Agency (NNMDA) says research on the production of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical grade starch is 85 per cent complete.
Prof Martins Emeje, the Director-General of NNMDA said this on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, while giving an update on some projects the agency is implementing.
NAN reports that the agency, in 2024 held a Consultative Stakeholders Engagement to encourage them for the indigenous production of pharmaceutical grade starch.
The meeting focused on “Unlocking Nigeria’s Potential: Natural Medicine, Cassava Cultivation and Pharmaceutical-Grade Starch Production for Health, Wealth Creation, Student, Youth and Women Empowerment-The NNMDA Approach.’’
He said that Nigeria was the largest producer of cassava in the world, with only Brazil competing for that position.
Emeje stated that Nigeria kept importing cassava-based materials for medicines.
Emeje said the agency had made significant progress in the production of pharmaceutical grade starch which was a critical raw material in drug manufacturing.
He explained that upon assuming office as director-general, he engaged the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, to seek support for local production of pharmaceutical grade starch.
“I submitted a proposal then and letting them know that there is no great deal in making pharmaceutical grade starch and that we needed support.
“Today, we have wonderful results. We have made our pharmaceutical grade starch, we have quality evaluation, and we are 85 per cent nearing completion.
“We are going to set up the first public government owned pharmaceutical grade starch making facility in Nigeria.
“We got funding from the Senate, went into the field, got cassava, we did a lot of studies, generated our data and now we are at the stage were we will go into pilot scale up to establish our own facility.
“In the next one to two years we will not just be presenting pharmaceutical grade starch to the country but we will be presenting both the facility where it will be made,’’ Emeje said.
On how progressive their College of Traditional Medicine had been, Emeje said the establishment of the college marked a major milestone in the formalisation of traditional medicine education in the country.
He said the agency enrolled about 35 students and were set to graduate them in the year.
“We have about 35 students and the college has prospects of growing to admit more, that is if science and technology is anything to go by.
“We are going to graduate our first set of graduands this year 2026 and we have been upgraded to a National Diploma Awarding institution, initially it was National Innovative Enterprise Institution,’’ Emeje said.
He explained that the upgrade of the institution would attract more students.
“By the Act that established us, we have the mandate to train anybody interested in traditional medicine.
“We have the mandate, the skills, the knowledge and the information, and now we also have global recognition by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Africa,” Emeje said.
Emeje also said the 10th National Assembly has continued to support the agency’s initiatives, noting that several proposals submitted to the legislature have received positive responses, even with limited funds.
He explained that the engagement with the National Assembly contributed to the resolution urging Nigerians to prioritise natural medicines.
According to him, the growing legislative backing reflects increasing national recognition of the importance of natural medicines in healthcare delivery and development.
Edited by Sadiya Hamza
