Fund scientific researches into Nigeria’s underutilized medicinal plants – Don to FG
Professor Advocates for Investment in Medicinal Plant Research at EKSU Inaugural Lecture
A professor at Ekiti State University (EKSU) has urged government and university authorities to allocate additional funding for advanced equipment aimed at facilitating research into underutilized medicinal plants that contain bioactive phytochemicals with potential therapeutic benefits.
Professor Folake Lucy Oyetayo, who chairs the Department of Food and Nutritional Biochemistry, emphasized that increased investment would enable researchers to explore the nutritional, medicinal, and toxicological properties of these plants. She noted that such efforts could reduce national expenditures on conventional medications.
Addressing an audience during the university’s 108th inaugural lecture, titled “In Search of the Beautiful Ones: Unraveling Phytoceuticals and Phytonutrients in Sleeping Pharmaceutical Giants,” Oyetayo called on stakeholders to enhance the education of health professionals regarding the use of lesser-known medicinal plants. She believes that this could help address nutritional deficiencies and specific degenerative diseases.
The professor highlighted the importance of providing nutritional information about these plants, advocating for their integration into dietary formulations to manage various emerging health issues. She remarked that Nigeria’s rich biodiversity includes many indigenous plants with bioactive compounds capable of preventing and managing chronic diseases, yet many remain underutilized despite their significant potential.
Oyetayo also urged environmental protection agencies to intensify efforts to preserve the natural habitats of these lesser-known medicinal plants. She recommended government support for cultivating identified medicinal plants for health purposes rather than purely for food. Community-based gardens focused on medicinal plants could improve accessibility, she suggested.
To further promote the conservation and utilization of indigenous medicinal plants, Oyetayo proposed the establishment of botanical gardens and standard herbaria centers. These initiatives would protect endangered species and create a comprehensive database of medicinal plants native to Nigeria.
Following the lecture, EKSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Joseph Babatola Ayodele praised the presentation as both timely and thoroughly researched. He emphasized the importance of leveraging Nigeria’s abundant plant resources to enhance nutrition and public health, asserting that a balanced diet rich in local plants could diminish reliance on pharmaceuticals.
Professor Ayodele reaffirmed the university’s commitment to fostering quality research and innovation that addresses local, national, and global challenges.