Long before the first hospital was built on Nigerian soil, communities across the country had already developed sophisticated systems for treating illness, managing pain, and maintaining health. Roots, leaves, bark, and seeds — prepared by knowledgeable hands and passed down through generations — were the foundation of healthcare for millions of people. That foundation has not disappeared. It has evolved, adapted, and in many ways, persisted alongside modern medicine in ways that are only beginning to receive serious scientific and regulatory attention.

This is the story of herbal medicine in Nigeria — where it came from, how it is practised today, what the government is doing about it, and what ordinary Nigerians actually think.

History of Herbal Medicine in Nigeria

The history of herbal medicine in Nigeria is inseparable from the history of the Nigerian people themselves. Across the three major ethnic groups — Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa-Fulani — and the hundreds of smaller ones, plant-based healing has always been central to how communities understood the human body and its relationship with the natural world.

Among the Yoruba, herbal medicine was formalised through the Ifa divination system. The Babalawo — the traditional priest and healer — held deep knowledge of medicinal plants and their applications, knowledge considered sacred and transmitted through years of dedicated apprenticeship. Plants like Dongoyaro (neem), Efinrin (basil), and Ewe Akoko were not just remedies but carried spiritual and cultural significance.

In the north, Hausa traditional medicine — known as Magani Gargajiya — developed its own rich herbal tradition, influenced over centuries by trade routes that connected Nigeria to North Africa and the Arab world. Practitioners called Wanzami combined herbal knowledge with other forms of traditional care. Hausa herbal remedies incorporated plants like Tamarind, Moringa, and Ginger, many of which have since been validated by modern pharmacological research.

Igbo traditional medicine similarly revolved around dibia — healers who combined plant knowledge with spiritual practice. Herbs like Utazi, Uziza, and Nchuawu were staples, used in treatments ranging from digestive complaints to postpartum care.

The arrival of colonial rule and Western medicine in the 19th and 20th centuries did not erase these traditions. It pushed them to the margins — officially dismissed but never abandoned. In rural areas with limited access to clinics and hospitals, traditional herbal medicine remained the primary healthcare option. Even in urban centres, it continued quietly alongside imported pharmaceutical systems.

Traditional Practices

Herbal practice in Nigeria today falls into two categories — the formal and the informal. Both are very much alive.

On the formal side, you have trained herbalists. These are men and women who spent years learning under experienced practitioners. They know hundreds of plants, how to prepare them, how much to use, and what to avoid. They treat everything from malaria and typhoid to long-term conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney disease.

Some of the most widely used plants across Nigeria include:

• Moringa (Ewe Igbale / Zogale) — for inflammation, malnutrition, and blood sugar
• Neem / Dongoyaro — for malaria, skin infections, and fighting bacteria
• Ginger — for nausea, inflammation, and chest and respiratory issues
• Bitter leaf (Ewuro / Onugbu) — for the liver, malaria, and digestion
• Scent leaf (Efinrin / Nchuawu) — for infections, fever, and gut health

On the informal side, herbal medicine lives in the home. Most Nigerian households have at least one older relative who knows which leaf to boil for a fever, which bark to soak for a stomach ache, or which root to use for a skin rash. This knowledge is rarely written down. It moves from one generation to the next through word of mouth — and it represents a huge body of health knowledge that modern medicine has mostly ignored.

Then there are the markets. Onitsha Main Market, Kano’s Kurmi Market, Lagos’ Oshodi — all of them have dedicated sections where you can buy dried herbs, roots, bark, and prepared herbal mixtures. The trade is large. But at the market level, almost none of it is regulated.

Modern Integration

The relationship between herbal medicine and modern healthcare in Nigeria has shifted considerably over the past two decades. What was once a clear division — orthodox medicine in one corner, traditional medicine in the other — has become increasingly blurred.

Nigerian universities have started taking medicinal plants seriously. Schools like the University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, and Ahmadu Bello University all have departments dedicated to pharmacognosy — which is simply the scientific study of medicinal plants. Researchers from these institutions have published studies recognised internationally, giving scientific backing to things traditional healers have known for generations.

The business side has moved too. More Nigerian companies are now producing herbal products properly — capsules, teas, tinctures, syrups — manufactured under controlled conditions, tested for quality, and submitted for regulatory approval. That is a very different product from the loose, unmarked preparations you find in open markets. These are formulated products with specific ingredients, specific dosages, and a paper trail.

Even within the medical community, attitudes are softening. There is growing recognition that for certain chronic conditions — where orthodox medicine keeps symptoms under control but never fully resolves the problem — herbal interventions used alongside conventional treatment may have a role to play.

The World Health Organisation has a global strategy that calls on member countries to integrate traditional medicine into their national health systems, backed by research, regulation, and education. Nigeria has aligned with that strategy. Progress has been slow. But the direction is clear.

Regulatory Landscape

Two bodies are responsible for regulating herbal medicine in Nigeria. The first is NAFDAC. The second is the Traditional Medicine Board, which operates at the state government level.

NAFDAC is the more visible of the two. Any herbal product manufactured and sold in Nigeria as a health product is required to be registered with them. To get that registration, the product goes through laboratory testing, safety and quality checks, a review of what is written on the label, and an inspection of where it is produced. When a product passes all of that, it gets a NAFDAC number. That number on the pack is what consumers are told to look for.

The Traditional Medicine Board handles the practitioner side — registering and regulating the herbalists themselves. But the effectiveness of this board varies widely depending on which state you are in. In many states it exists in name only, with little real power to set standards or hold practitioners accountable.

Nigeria is not alone in this struggle. Regulating herbal medicine is a challenge almost every country faces. But in Nigeria, where demand is high and the volume of unregulated products in circulation is also high, the consequences of getting it wrong are serious. Fake ingredients, wrong labelling, and exaggerated health claims are not just legal problems. They are public health risks.

Public Perception

Ask Nigerians what they think about herbal medicine and you will get very different answers depending on who you ask.

For older Nigerians — especially those who grew up in villages or in a time before hospitals were accessible — herbal medicine is not an alternative. It was never an alternative. It was simply medicine. The trust they have in it comes from personal experience, from watching it work in their families, and from a worldview where nature and the human body have always been connected.

Younger, urban Nigerians are more divided. Many of them grew up going to clinics and hospitals and carry some scepticism toward traditional remedies — especially ones that are unregulated. But a growing number of young Nigerians are also moving toward natural health approaches. Some of it is driven by global wellness culture. Some of it is a quiet distrust of a pharmaceutical system that feels expensive, impersonal, and sometimes inaccessible.

Then there is the money angle, which cannot be separated from this conversation.

Orthodox healthcare in Nigeria is costly. For millions of people, it is simply out of reach. A herbalist costs far less than a hospital. Herbal preparations are affordable, available close to home, and require no prescription. For a large percentage of Nigerians, choosing herbal medicine is not about preference. It is about what they can actually afford.

The biggest concern people raise about herbal medicine is safety. Specifically — what is actually in the product, whether the ingredients are what the label says, and whether anything harmful has been added. That concern is legitimate. It is also exactly what proper regulation is supposed to solve. When a herbal product has been properly formulated, tested, and approved, the safety conversation looks very different from when it has not.

Final Thought

Herbal medicine in Nigeria is not a thing of the past. It is alive, it is growing, and it has outlasted colonisation, modernisation, and years of being overlooked by institutions — because it works, and because it is part of how Nigerians have always understood health.

The question was never whether it belongs. It belongs. The real work now is making sure the products Nigerians use are safe, properly made, and honest about what is inside them.

That work has started. It is not moving as fast as it should, and it needs more funding and more attention. But the ingredients for something great are already there — centuries of knowledge, a country rich in medicinal plants, and a people who never stopped trusting nature to heal them.

Medical Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting any herbal supplement, especially if you are managing an existing condition or taking prescription medication.