LAGOS, OGUN MOVE TO STRENGTHEN REGULATION OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
The Lagos and Ogun State governments are exploring stronger institutional collaboration to improve traditional medicine regulation, promote safe healthcare practices, and preserve indigenous medical knowledge, amid growing calls for standards, accountability, and professionalism in the sector.
The proposed partnership emerged during a working visit by a delegation from the Ogun State Alternative Medicine Board to the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board, where the visiting team sought to study Lagos' regulatory framework, institutional operations, and strategies for improving traditional medicine administration.
Welcoming the delegation to its Lagos Island Office, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Board, Babatunde Adele, said the Agency was ready to share its experience and expertise with its Ogun counterpart to strengthen regulation and encourage best practices in the administration of traditional medicine.
Adele disclosed that the Board, established in 1980, had registered 9,645 active traditional medicine practitioners, explaining that its regulatory responsibilities extended beyond registration to include professional development, monitoring and the promotion of responsible healthcare practices.
He said the Board had introduced regular training programmes and a code of conduct for practitioners as part of efforts to improve professional standards, strengthen accountability and check the activities of unregulated operators.
According to him, the Agency is also pursuing institutional and infrastructural initiatives aimed at repositioning traditional medicine through research, documentation, standardisation and improved service delivery.
Among the initiatives highlighted were the establishment of a botanical garden in Epe, plans to establish additional traditional medicine clinics and laboratories, as well as the creation of zonal offices to bring the Board's regulatory services closer to practitioners and members of the public.
Adele reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to modernising and protecting traditional medicine through research, strategic partnerships and effective regulatory mechanisms, stressing the importance of preserving indigenous knowledge while ensuring that its practice meets acceptable standards of safety and professionalism.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary and Registrar of the Ogun State Alternative Medicine Board, Dr Charles Erinle, commended the Lagos Board for its institutional achievements and regulatory initiatives.
Erinle explained that the visit was designed to provide his team with first-hand knowledge of Lagos' operational structure, administrative processes and regulatory strategies, which could serve as useful models for strengthening alternative medicine administration in Ogun State.
He said the delegation was particularly interested in gaining practical insights, identifying areas of cooperation and adopting proven approaches that could improve the regulation and development of traditional medicine in Ogun.
Also speaking, a former member of the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board and Chief Executive Officer/Director of Royal Holistic College of Traditional Medicine, Lagos, Dr. Tajudeen Olusesi, commended the Board for creating an enabling environment for the development of organised traditional medicine practice.
Olusesi noted that the Board had encouraged the establishment of model institutions and service centres, including traditional medicine training institutions, clinics, botanical gardens, herbal centres and drug manufacturing facilities.
He explained that the introduction of a data management system, alongside the registration and periodic renewal of practitioners' licences, had become an important mechanism for identifying genuinely active practitioners and addressing the challenge of inactive registrations.
According to him, the policy would strengthen the Board's database, improve regulatory oversight and provide a more reliable framework for monitoring practitioners within the sector.
In her vote of thanks, a member of the Ogun State delegation, Mrs Olufunke Adu, expressed appreciation to the management and staff of the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board for their hospitality, openness and willingness to share valuable institutional experience.
She said the delegation was impressed by the presentations and operational insights received during the visit, adding that the knowledge acquired would be useful in strengthening the Ogun Board's regulatory activities.
Adu assured the host institution that the delegation would put the lessons learnt into practice, while expressing optimism that the engagement would translate into sustained cooperation between both states.
The proposed collaboration is expected to provide an opportunity for both institutions to exchange regulatory expertise, strengthen professional standards and promote a more organised traditional medicine sector.
Beyond institutional cooperation, the engagement underscores the importance of ensuring that traditional medicine development is supported by credible regulation, scientific research, proper documentation and safeguards that protect public health while preserving valuable indigenous medical knowledge.
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