…warns against using herbal drug not tested
By Hassan Zaggi
The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has disclosed that her agency is keenly waiting to receive the made-in-Madagascar cure for Covid-19, popularly known as COVID-Organics, so that it can be subjected to the needed scientific test.
She disclosed this while briefing the media in Abuja, weekend.
It would be recalled that the made-in-Madagascar herbal cure for Covid-19 was presented to President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday.
Prof. Adeyeye, however, encouraged Nigerian-based herbal practitioners and the researchers to submit to her agency what they think may work so that it can be tested
She further revealed that no Nigerian herbal practitioner or researcher has submitted to her office any claim for the treatment and cure of Covid-19.
“As par the application submitted to NAFDAC on Covid-19, we have zero. But we have an expression of interest as of early last week.
“As for Friday, I went around our herbal product committee to find out who has a possible formulation that we can check whether it can work for Covid-19 status, we got four and they are processing it for possible funding from an agency. It is not an application sent to NAFDAC, it is just research.
“I advised them before they can go for clinical trial, the have to list their product with us. Some of those four are planning to come. The number from one expression of interest will change quickly,” she said.
The NAFDAC Director General, however, regretted that Nigeria has hundreds of herbal products that have been neglected.
“In terms Madagascar, it is a natural product. I am a proponent of herbal medicine, however, herbal medicine that is not investigated scientifically can be very dangerous.
“Not all herbal medicines are safe. NAFDAC tests the toxicity, the microbial contents and other parameters, nobody should be using herbal medicines that are not tested.
“So the Madagascar herbal medicine, the fact that it is working for Madagascar is a good thing. However, we have not receive any sample at NAFDAC for testing.
“The Minister of Health said that the sample should be sent our way to test.
“Nigeria have a number of good herbal plants but we have neglected them.
“NAFDAC instituted herbal medicine committee, they are made up of researchers and herbal medicine practitioners to bring the two together because the herbal medicine practitioners said that they don’t trust the researchers. Without research we cannot move the products developed forward.”
She disclosed that her agency has launch what she christened palliative for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
“We have just lunched palliative for our MSMEs because times are hard. Times are very hard for our people. But will challenges come opportunities.
“What we have done today is the beginning of what we will be doing for the next 90 days in which the 200 micro business will get the opportunity to register free and then we reviewed our tariff for registration fee by 80 per cent.
“We have reviewed our tariff by 80 per cent and also those who have not renewed their licences, those MSME that are already established we are giving them the opportunity to renew their registration. We are weaving the big fine that we would have given them.”
