The Conservator General of National Park Service, Dr Ibrahim Goni has said that biodiversity is key to Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) in Nigeria.
Dr Goni said this at the 1st Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine(TCAM) Conference in Abuja, organized by the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady of the Federation, a statement by the Service Public Relations Officer, CP Emmanuel Ntuyang disclosed.
In his goodwill message at the Conference, the Park Service boss remarked that Nigeria is blessed with about 8,000 Species of plants, out of which 128 are indigenous to the country.
He added that most of these plants are held in Nigeria’s Seven(7) National Parks, which explains one of the reasons President Muhammedu Buhari recently approved the establishment of 10 new National Parks in the country.
He further noted that the rich collection of plant species is an important input in the development of Traditional and Alternative Medicine in the country, stressing that Traditional and Alternative Medicine is cheap and easily accessible, hence when properly harnessed, will make a significant contribution to the effective healthcare delivery in the country.
The Conservator- General commended the First Lady, Dr. Aisha Buhari and the Federal Ministry of Health for the initiative, and also praised the First Lady for her interest in Biodiversity Conservation.
The high point of the occasion was the inspection of stands by the First Lady, Dr. Aisha Buhari, where some traditional medicines and indigenous plants were on display.
