FG to mobilise investment in medicinal plant company

Minister of agriculture and rural development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has hinted that the Federal government would mobilize banks and the private sector to invest in medicinal plants development in the country in order to maximize its benefits.The minister made this known yesterday in Abuja while receiving the management team of the Nigerian Medicinal Development Company lead by its Managing Director, Hajiya Zainab Sheriff; said medicinal plants must be translated to income for the country.'God has given us so much and we must start thinking of how to make money from these resources. China, India, Tanzania, Kenya and other countries have commercialized their medicinal plants and we cannot afford to be left behind', he said.Adesina informed that his ministry would work closely with the company to ascertain the derivable value chain in the plants in order to attract investment from the banks and the rest of the private sector.He emphasized the benefits of commercializing the medicinal plants would in addition to ensuring a healthy nation, create wealth and employment for the teaming unemployed particularly the women who constitute the greater percentage of the farming population.'The global value of medicinal plants is put at 80 billion US dollars, and Nigeria spends 130 billion naira annually on importation of malaria drugs alone. Artemisia which has been found to be very effective in the treatment of malaria will save the country a lot of money'.He praised the commitment of the company in the strides made so far in the medicinal plants development.Earlier, the Nigeria Medicinal Plants Development Company, Hajia Zainab Sherrif had said the company has successfully cultivated Artemisia plants in large commercial quantities in the country and has discovered six additional medicinal plants that are grown in the six geo political zones of the country.She revealed that Artemisia plant which was hitherto thought to be grown only in China has been found to grow successfully in Africa, specifically in Tanzania, Kenya, Congo, and Madagascar adding that Nigeria is the first country in the West African sub region to grow the crop.
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