Minister promises NIPRD N100m for herbal drugs research

Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole has promised to provide N100m to the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, NIPRD, for the establishment of a unit that would be devoted to carrying out research on traditional herbal products.

Professor Adewole made this known at the weekend while speaking at the public presentation of NIPRD’s products and end of tenure celebration of Professor Karmiyus Gamaniel, the director general of the institute who is retiring.

Adewole in a statement signed by his special assistant on Communication and Strategy, Kazeem Akintunde, also said that another N10m would be provided for the institute to carry out extensive research on how to turn the Neem tree into a money spinning commodity for the benefit of the nation.

Adewole said that extensive research should be carried out on traditional herbal products, some of which have been found to have cure for different ailments.

He said that the Neem tree has been turned to a money spinner in India adding that there was no reason why Nigeria could not take advantage of such a products that could be easily produced in the country.

‘We need to carry out detailed research into Neem tree as it has become a money spinner for the Indian government. Its flower, roots, seed have all become useful material in the production of several products.