Benin City, Nigeria — In a renewed push to recognise traditional medicine within formal academia, the University of Benin’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Ekehuan Campus), Prof. Ayinde Ekenwan, has called on Nigerian universities to adopt herbal medicine as a structured degree programme. His remarks were first reported by Tribune Online on 21 September 2025.
Prof. Ekenwan argued that formalising herbal medicine academically would enable rigorous scientific research, proper documentation, and wider acceptance of indigenous healing practices. He cautioned that without such structure, herbal medicine may remain relegated to informal or unregulated use, undermining its credibility in modern health systems.
His advocacy comes amid growing interest in integrating traditional medicine into Nigeria’s health and education sectors. For instance, in December 2024, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) stated that Nigeria had yet to fully harness the potential of herbal medicine and revealed plans to introduce a bachelor’s programme in the discipline.
However, the call for new programmes comes alongside challenges in existing faculties. At UNIBEN itself, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was shut down in October 2024 due to failure to meet accreditation standards—a move confirmed by the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN). Students in the veterinary programme expressed concern that their degrees and induction into the profession may be jeopardised.
If universities heed Prof. Ekenwan’s prescription, Nigeria could see the birth of accredited herbal medicine faculties and a new generation of practitioners trained at the intersection of traditional knowledge and scientific validation.
SOURCES: Tribune Online, The Hope Newspaper, PUNCH, FIJ
