By Adepote Arowojobe

Mr Gbolahan Ogunleye, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, on Saturday urged traditional medicine practitioners to enhance research on herbal drugs and treatments.

Ogunleye, who represents Ikorodu Constituency I under the APC, gave the advice during the presentation of tables and chairs to the Traditional Medicine Practitioners of Nigeria (TMPN), Ikorodu Branch.

The event took place at the TMPN Secretariat in Ikorodu.

Ogunleye said traditional medicine should be refined to gain wider acceptance, especially given global recognition of the practice.

“Traditional medicine practitioners are no longer seen as mere herbalists, unlike in the past. They must keep improving the practice to match Western standards,” he said.

He added that legislative backing would help boost public trust in traditional medicine and provide a proper framework for its development and regulation.

Ogunleye, who chairs the House Committee on Overseas Investment and Sustainable Development Goals, urged the association to review and amend relevant laws for better outcomes.

He assured the practitioners that the House would support any good proposals and enact laws that protect public interest, particularly in Ikorodu.

The lawmaker promised that Lagos State’s allocations would continue to reflect its diversity, with Ikorodu receiving its fair share of development.

“I’ll support laws to elevate traditional medicine as a credible aspect of the healthcare system. This includes encouraging research and cultivation of local herbs,” he said.

He reaffirmed the commitment of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to deliver more impactful projects in Ikorodu and across the state.

TMPN Secretary, Ms Oluwabunmi Ajibola, thanked the lawmaker for his consistent support, noting that the donation would enhance the association’s operations.

She said the gesture would help the group improve traditional medicine practices and strengthen its role as a viable complement to orthodox healthcare.

“We’re doing all we can to improve, gain wider acceptance, and fill critical gaps in healthcare delivery,” Ajibola added. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Edith Bolokor/Kamal Tayo Oropo

By Abujah Racheal

The Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH), Lafia, is set to lead the establishment of Nigeria’s first vaccine research and development hub focused on Lassa fever and other infectious outbreaks.

Dr Ikrama Hassan, FUTH’s Chief Medical Director (CMD), unveiled the initiative on Saturday in Abuja during the inaugural vaccine research retreat.

Hassan said that the project was inspired by experience growing up in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, where yearly outbreak of a mysterious illness plagued communities, often misdiagnosed as typhoid fever.

“It was not until my time at the University of Ibadan, studying Lassa fever, that I realised what had devastated my community for years was not typhoid.

“Even as a trained physician, I did not know,” he said.

He said that, as a former Director of Health Planning, Research, and Statistics in the state, he initiated the establishment of a vaccine research centre in 2019.

“Despite the facility’s completion, it has remained dormant for over six years. Now, as CMD of the host institution, I have made activating the centre my top priority.

“The impact will be monumental, not just for Nasarawa State, but for Nigeria and Africa as a whole,” he said.

To advance the project, Hassan said that he had brought on board key stakeholders, including Dr Simon Agwale, vaccine development expert and CEO of Innovative Biotech, who also hails from Nasarawa.

He said that Agwale had begun building partnerships with the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) and other global health agencies to support the centre.

“If this group cannot make this centre a reality, I do not think there is another that can,” he said.

He said that the COVID-19 pandemic had underscored the urgency of moving from reliance on imported vaccines to developing local solutions for epidemic-prone diseases like Lassa fever.

“Lassa fever is endemic in several Nigerian states, including Nasarawa, with annual outbreaks and long-term complications such as hearing loss among survivors.

“Despite its burden on public health, there is currently no widely available Lassa fever vaccine in the country,” he said.

Speaking at the retreat, Agwale highlighted the power of vaccines in saving lives and preventing disease.

He referenced the resurgence of measles in the U.S. as a cautionary tale of vaccine hesitancy.

“Vaccines led to the eradication of smallpox. Today, we talk about eradicating polio only because of vaccines,” he said.

“Vaccine development in Nigeria is hindered by limited early-stage research capacity and the absence of critical infrastructure.

“There is no institution in Nigeria that we can rely on to generate early-stage data for vaccine development,” he said.

He called for urgent investment in animal testing facilities, genomic labs, and other basic research infrastructure.

“Science is not guesswork. Without animal testing infrastructure, it is just guesswork,” he said.

Agwale said that Nigerian biotech companies were often forced to perform roles meant for universities due to capacity gaps in academic institutions.

“As a biotech company, we are doing everything,” he said.

He called for closer collaboration between academia, government, and industry, noting that locally developed vaccines can generate intellectual property (IP) to sustain universities financially.

“If an academic institution develops the vaccine, the IP belongs to them. That’s how research becomes sustainable,” he said.

He also drew attention to the global disparity in health research funding.

“The U.S. National Institutes of Health has a budget over 40 billion dollars, more than Nigeria’s entire national budget,” he noted. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman