By CHINYERE Nnaemeka
A not-for-profit, non-governmental knowledge based organization founded in 1992 to promote and encourage community based sustainable development that encompasses the interface between health and the environment; Bioresources Development, and Conservation Programme (BDCP) in conjunction with the Imo State Government through the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Agriculture has announced the take off of the 15th Edition of her programme tagged ‘HerbFest’.
The event is slated to take place from Thursday, October 10 to Friday October 11, 2024, at Foret Event Center by Concord Hotel junction off Port Harcourt Owerri Express Road, in Imo State, with the theme: “Herbal Medicine for Sustainable Development”
The keynote Speaker for the programme is Professor Elisabetsky Elaine, an Ethnopharmcologist, and Professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Porto Alegre, Brazil), among other notable Speakers knowledgeable in the course of discourse.
This was disclosed to newsmen in Owerri on Friday, by the Convener of the programme, and former Independent Electoral Commission, INEC Chairman, Prof Maurice Iwu, the Commissioner for Primary Health Social Services and Health Insurance, Dr Prosper-Ohayagha Success, and the Commissioner for Agriculture and food security, Hon Chief Cosmos Madugba, in company of the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Rev. Sr. Dr. Maria Joaness Uzoma.
Speaking, the Convener of the event, Prof Iwu who disclosed the date of the programme, and other essential facts about it, averred,”This year’s edition of the BDCP programme is very important for many reasons as we will be unveiling a very unique programme called Nigerian BRIDGE Project. The acronym BRIDGE stands for Bioresources Innovation Development, and Gender Empowerment. The key aspect of this project is that we have realized that we have been suffering from ignorance in certain areas, which this program has come to address.
“Nigeria seem to be at some cross road of a kind, and we are neglecting some aspects of our own heritage, which is the enormous benefits we can access from herbs, and spices for our health, and food sources and more importantly as an economic asset.
“Some countries notably China, Indian, America, and lately Egypt have been tapping from this enormous biological asset, and have been making hundreds of billions from it, but Nigeria for some reason have neglected it because of Oil.
“This is why I said this year’s programme is very special as we have activities and sections that will aid us be acquainted with the enormous benefits we can get from harnessing our spices, and herbs.
“Now we have about 122 target plants, that if our state can cultivate atleast six of it in a big way, it is going to help us reslove food, and health issues, and bring tremendous economic benefits to the state, and whoever that decides to tap into such area,’ Iwu stated’.
He therefore urged the general public to avail themselves for the programme, saying it is for the benefit of not just the country at large, but to all her citizenry.
Adding his voice, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Prosper, pointed out that herbal medicine has been the corner stone for health care from time immemorial, adding that we need to actually go back to it; organic medicine, and ascertain how well we could maximize its potentials.
He continued, “It is something that has been in place during the COVID-19 era when the Orthodox medicine we had failed us, and we had to fall back to the use of herbal medicine to tackle the menace.
“So we need to promote this further, which is why the ministry of health is doing this in conjunction with the BDCP, and the Ministry of Agriculture as herbals cannot be done without it being cultivated.
“Also se are going to be questioning a lot of researches that have been done, and so we will have clinical dialogues with medical associations, and a whole lot of other researchers that will come in play for the event. We will endeavor to come out with a stand where every practitioner will be happy with what we are doing.
“We want to have a source of medicine that will aid us get revenue into our state, and we want Imo State to be the center hub for traditional alternative and complementary medicines, which we will all work in tandem to achieve, ‘ Prosper averred’.
Speaking also, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon Cosmas Madugba who reiterated the importance of the programme, stated that the Ministry of Agriculture on its part, will continue to encourage the farmers to expand their activities and capacity in the area of cultivating the herbs and spices to the level of commercialization.
He therefore urged the people in the private sector, the entrepreneurs, financially institutions, Government policy makers and people in authority to see reasons why everyone should support the initiative.
Some people the commissioner hinted are looking at some of the natural resources we have to be meant for the downtrodden, but countries that knows the benefits of herbs and spices, he said, have utilized it to their advantage, which is what we want everyone to key into.
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