Press Release
24th July, 2026
NICO Takes FG To A Roundtable Discussion With Brazil On Traditional Medicine For Global Recognition
The National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, is spearheading strategic engagements with key Brazilian institutions aimed at securing global recognition, scientific validation, and commercialization of traditional medicine as a viable component of modern healthcare systems.
Speaking during a live television interview on TVC News from Brazil, the Executive Secretary and CEO of NICO, Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, said Nigeria and Brazil possess complementary strengths capable of creating a globally impactful partnership that bridges culture, science, and medicine.
According to him, Nigeria’s rich repository of indigenous knowledge and oral traditions, combined with Brazil’s advanced scientific and health research infrastructure, provides a unique opportunity to develop evidence-based traditional medical solutions for the benefit of humanity.
“Nigeria possesses oral history and indigenous knowledge, while Brazil has one of the largest health management sectors in the world. Let Brazil provide the science behind our oral history, unravel its significance, and package it for the world. We are seeking a meeting point between culture, science, and medicine,” Ajiboye stated.
The NICO Chief Executive who said the bilateral initiative is driven under the umbrella of the World Orisha Congress, an entity operating under the Institute, further explained that while orthodox medicine remains critical to healthcare delivery, traditional medicine offers valuable and time-tested solutions that can complement contemporary medical practice when subjected to rigorous scientific research and validation.
Otunba Ajiboye noted that Nigeria spends billions of dollars annually on imported pharmaceutical products, stressing that investment in indigenous medicinal research and development could significantly reduce dependence on imports while opening new economic opportunities for the country.
He observed that the global traditional medicine industry has become a major contributor to national economies in several countries, citing China’s traditional medicine sector, valued at hundreds of billions of dollars annually, as an example of what can be achieved through deliberate investment in research, standardization, and commercialization.
“Culture is bringing to the table the kind of economy that oil cannot even dream about. Once we conceptualize, research, validate, produce, and export our indigenous medical solutions, Nigeria will gain sustainable economic advantages while contributing meaningfully to global healthcare innovation,” he added.
NICO is facilitating this collaboration among leading academic, cultural, and research institutions from both countries including Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), which brings expertise in clinical research and pharmaceutical production; Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Brazil’s foremost public health research institution and a World Health Organization-designated centre for traditional medicine research; Harvard University; Brazil’s Ministry of Racial Equality, and the delegation of The African Pride.
The initiative also enjoys the support of eminent traditional rulers, scholars, and cultural icons, including the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR; Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka; and renowned Yoruba scholar and former Majority Leader of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Wande Abimbola.
The Nigeria-Brazil engagement represents a significant step toward strengthening cultural diplomacy, expanding scientific cooperation, promoting healthcare innovation, and unlocking the economic potential embedded in Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems.
Signed:
Caleb Nor
Media Assistant to the Executive Secretary/CEO, NICO.