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Innovative Medicines & Omics

REVIEW ARTICLE
The accessibility and usage patterns of

herbal drug information among non-health
professionals in Nigeria: A narrative review

1,2
Obinna Joseph Mba * , Amara Anwuchaepe Ajaghaku 3,4 ,
Brian Onyebuchi Ogbonna 2,5 , and Simeon Ikechukwu Egba 6
1 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, David Umahi
Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi, Nigeria
2 International Institute for Health Policy, Systems and Knowledge Translation, International Institute
for Infectious Disease, Biosafety and Biosecurity Research, David Umahi Federal University of
Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi, Nigeria
3 Department of Pharmacognosy and Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi, Nigeria
4 International Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation, David Umahi Federal University
of Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi, Nigeria
5 Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi, Nigeria
6 Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture,
Umudike, Abia, Nigeria

Abstract

Herbal medicine plays a pivotal role in Nigeria’s health-care system, particularly
*Corresponding author: among non-health professionals, with many individuals relying on traditional
Obinna Joseph Mba remedies for self-medication and disease management. The review aims to identify
(mbaoj@dufuhs.edu.ng)
sources of information on herbal drugs, types of herbal medications commonly used,
Citation: Mba OJ, Ajaghaku AA, reasons for their usage, and associated risks. A comprehensive literature search was
Ogbonna BO, Egba SI. The conducted using electronic databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and local
accessibility and usage patterns of
herbal drug information among non- Nigerian journals, complemented by gray literature from government health websites
health professionals in Nigeria: A and reports. Key terms such as “herbal medicine,” “Nigeria,” “non-health professionals,”
narrative review. Innov Med Omics. and “information accessibility” were employed to identify relevant studies and reports
2025;2(2):64-81.
doi: 10.36922/IMO025080012 published between 2000 and 2023. The selected materials were analyzed to extract
themes surrounding the knowledge and practices of non-health professionals
Received: February 17, 2025
1st revised: April 21, 2025 regarding herbal medicine. Findings reveal that non-health professionals primarily rely
2nd revised: April 27, 2025 on traditional healers, family members, and media sources for information. However,
Accepted: May 7, 2025 these sources often lack scientific evidence, resulting in potential misinformation.
Published online: May 28, 2025
Commonly used herbal remedies include moringa, neem, and various local
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). plants, often endorsed for their perceived efficacy and affordability compared to
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the conventional drugs. Despite the cultural acceptance of herbal medicines, significant
Creative Commons Attribution safety concerns arise from inadequate regulation, potential toxicity, and adverse drug
License, permitting distribution, interactions when used concurrently with pharmaceuticals. This review highlights
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is the need for improved regulation, credible information dissemination, and public
properly cited. education regarding herbal medicines to enhance safe practices. Recommendations
include collaborating with health authorities to promote awareness and integrating
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with traditional healers into formal health-care systems. By shedding light on the current
regard to jurisdictional claims in state of herbal drug information accessibility and usage, this study underscores the
published maps and institutional importance of addressing gaps in knowledge to safeguard public health in Nigeria.
affiliations.

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2025) 64 doi: 10.36922/IMO025080012