Cultivate Mini Gardens at Home to Sustain African Medicines by Innocent Eneta
Renowned Professor of Pharmacognosy and former Dean of Pharmacy at the University of Ibadan, Jones Olanrewaju Moody, issued a compelling call to action, urging individuals to establish miniature gardens within their homes to ensure the longevity of African Traditional Medicines (ATM).
Professor Moody made this impassioned plea during his role as a distinguished guest speaker at an online event hosted by the Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Lagos, Idi-Araba.
Addressing the theme, “Herbal Medicine Sustainability for Optimal Health and Economic Development,” Moody passionately encouraged people to actively participate in the preservation and advancement of herbal medicine by nurturing mini gardens on their premises.
He emphasized, “We all need to create mini gardens in our homes because many of our medicinal plants are disappearing, going extinct, and for sustainable development, there must be a need to truly safeguard them. Otherwise, future generations may not have access to what we consider herbal medicines if these plants vanish.”
Moody expressed concerns about the exportation of these plants to the industrialized world, highlighting the impending danger of their depletion. He underscored the importance of striking a balance between traditional and evidence-based knowledge, governance, sustainable utilization, and climate change to prevent the complete degradation of our ecosystem.
The event marked the celebration of the 6th Annual African Traditional Medicine Day and featured esteemed figures, including the University’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola; the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Gloria Abiodun Ayoola; the Head of the Department, Prof. Sunday Adesegun, as well as Prof. Glory Ajayi; Prof. Olukemi Odukoya; Dr. Joy Odimegwu, and Dr. Florence Nkemehule, among other distinguished participants.
Prof. Gloria Ayoola, representing the Vice Chancellor, emphasized the invaluable role of traditional medicines in human lives, recounting her own fascination with traditional remedies, such as contraceptives, used by her aunt. She emphasized that not all effective remedies fall under the category of “white man’s medicines,” referring to conventional pharmaceuticals.
“Traditional medicines have played a pivotal role in our lives. Many of us have used or encountered someone who has used traditional medicines during the course of our lives,” she noted.
Sunday provided profound insights into herbal medicine in Africa, shedding light on its myriad advantages for the continent while addressing concerns related to conservation.
