The Chairman, Traditional Medicine
Council of Osun state, Chief Idowu Omokayode Esuleke, has said that Nigeria
loses about $200 million in untapped potential in the traditional medicine,
calling on the Federal Government to harness the opportunity as a veritable
alternative to oil and revenue drive.
He said, “Medical tourism, herbal exports,
herbal cultivations, taxes, industries, among others would gross nothing less
than $200,000,000 yearly at the beginning, not to talk of number of employable
graduates that would be empowered.”
Esuleke made this statement in his
memoir titled: “The Boy Esuleke” to be unveiled on Saturday, July 25, 2015 in
commemoration of his 75th birthday in the state.
According to him,”the Federal
Government needs to wake up to the reality that spiri-herbal is one of the
resources almighty God has deposited in Nigeria, and if it is properly
explored, structured, packaged and regulated, it will give the country more
than crude oil is contributing to our economy at the moment in terms of revenue
and world recognition.”
He further admonished the Government
to be diplomatic about the international conspiracy to rubbish the potency of
Nigerian herbs, leaves and roots, instead it should create a conducive
atmosphere whereby alternative medicine practitioners can prove themselves with
verifiable evidences and be encouraged with modern technology.
With knowledge of the Asian
spiri-herbal practice, he claimed that the foreign traditionalists still
respect their counterparts in Nigeria and always look forward to have exchange
programmes/ideas with Nigerians.
VIA: VANGUARDNG
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