The Quiet Boom in Herbal and Traditional Products — And Why “Natural” Can No Longer Be Used as a Substitute for Scientific Testing

Walk through any major Nigerian market today and you’ll notice it: herbal remedies, traditional tonics, and plant-based wellness products have moved from the fringes into the mainstream. What used to be sold quietly by word of mouth is now packaged, branded, and shelved alongside conventional pharmaceuticals — and consumers are buying in growing numbers.

A Market Growing Faster Than Its Oversight

The scale of reliance on herbal medicine in Nigeria is significant. Speaking at an African Traditional Medicine Day event, former NAFDAC Director-General Dr. Paul Orhii cited global data underscoring just how widespread the practice is:

“Despite the World Health Organization’s findings that 80 per cent of the population still relies on traditional medicine due to its affordability [and] accessibility, the issue of safety is still a big issue.”

He was direct about the risks of assuming natural equals safe:

“Long term use of traditional medicine was not a guarantee for its safety… all medicines, whether conventional or traditional, could cause health risks.”

Regulation Is Catching Up

That gap between popularity and oversight is finally narrowing. In November 2025, a bill advanced in the House of Representatives specifically to regulate herbal medicine — commonly known as “agbo” — by amending the NAFDAC Act to mandate registration, quality standards, and a dedicated department for herbal medicine regulation. The bill explicitly targets the production of herbal products “under unhygienic conditions and without dosage control, clinical testing, or safety certification.”

Even NAFDAC’s current leadership has acknowledged the road ahead is still long. Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, addressing a symposium on the topic, admitted:

“Despite the widespread use and inherent benefits of traditional herbal medicine in Nigeria… the development of herbal medicines that are not only affordable but effective and safe for public use still pose a great challenge.”

What Responsible Manufacturers Are Doing Differently

Forward-thinking producers in this space are beginning to treat laboratory testing as a competitive advantage rather than a regulatory hurdle. Verified product safety becomes a selling point — something that can be communicated to increasingly informed consumers who are starting to ask harder questions about what they’re putting into their bodies.

Where Testing Fits In

A credible herbal product should be able to demonstrate consistency in its active compounds, freedom from microbial or heavy metal contamination, and safe manufacturing practices from raw material sourcing through to final packaging. This isn’t about adding bureaucracy to a traditional practice — it’s about giving that practice the scientific backing it needs to scale responsibly and earn long-term consumer trust.

At Okeson, our laboratory supports herbal product manufacturers with the analytical testing needed to move from informal production to verified, market-ready goods — helping bridge the gap between tradition and modern regulatory expectations.