UI To Begin Herbal Medicine Programme.
IBADAN — Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole, hinted, yesterday, that the institution would soon start a postgraduate course in herbal medicine.
He said this at a briefing on the mid-term stewardship of the VC held at the Trenchard Hall of the institution.
According to him, the decision was taken considering the important role that herbs play in drug discovery.
He said: “One cannot rule out the potency of herbal medicine, but there is need for an institution to help in developing the practice. Our plan is to have herbal medicine as part of the courses to be offered by UI.”
He added that the move would be the institution’s contribution to the development of herbal medicine in the country.
He explained further that the aim was not to encourage fetish things, but to contribute to herbal medicine development.
The Principal Investigator/Programme Director, Centre for Drug Discovery, Development and Production, Prof. Chinedum Babalola, said: “Faculty of Pharmacy has just established a new programme called postgraduate diploma in Herbal Medicine.”
“We are still developing proposal on it but we have a farm there. The services there will include herbal drug processing. Prior to this, the Faculty won a grant to set up a farm for drug discovery, development and production”, he said.
“One of our point of reference is to have herbal farm, herbal processing and registration of drugs. The centre will turn our research in herbal medicine to products”.
The Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities, UI, Segun Ajiboye underScored the importance of the forum which brings unions, students and the VC together to rub minds on the progress of the school.
Source : Vanguard NG
