Nigeria, Brazil to boost African traditional medicine recognition

Nigeria and Brazil have agreed to bolster their collaboration on the scientific validation of African traditional medicine. This partnership aims to deepen cooperation in research, technology transfer, academic exchange, and public health innovation.

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The foundation of this partnership should rest on three inseparable pillars: indigenous wisdom, traditional medicinal plants and scientific research.

The agreement was forged during the Brazil–Nigeria High-Level Bilateral Meeting on Traditional Medicine and Scientific Cooperation, held at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) in Rio de Janeiro. A Nigerian delegation, including representatives of the Ooni of Ife, joined officials, researchers, and academic institutions from both nations.

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Our purpose is not merely to preserve traditional knowledge, but to combine the wisdom safeguarded by our communities over generations with rigorous scientific research capable of validating, improving and responsibly applying that knowledge for the benefit of humanity.

Participants reaffirmed their commitment to scientifically validate traditional medicine practices and integrate evidence-based indigenous healthcare into formal health systems. Discussions also reviewed ongoing collaborative research on medicinal plants for diabetes treatment and explored expanding these studies to other therapeutic products. The meeting recognized Brazil's hundreds of scientifically validated medicinal plants as a foundation for future joint research.

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Through this approach, we can transform our shared biodiversity and ancestral knowledge into safe, effective and evidence-based health innovations that contribute to public health, scientific advancement and sustainable development.

Furthermore, the summit agreed to support the establishment of a Human Milk Bank in Nigeria through technical collaboration. This partnership is also linked to broader global climate and biodiversity initiatives. The Ooni of Ife's delegation emphasized that this collaboration should be anchored on indigenous wisdom, medicinal plants, and scientific research, transforming shared biodiversity and ancestral knowledge into safe, effective health innovations.

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These principles should form the cornerstone of the Memorandum of Understanding and all future cooperative initiatives arising from this historic meeting.