Nigeria developing drugs using local herbs to test breast cancer, cure leprosy – Ogbonnaya Onu

By ADEBAYO OBAJEMU 

The former Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, has said two Nigerian agencies have developed a drug “used in testing women who have breast cancer” with another in the pipeline “which has gone very far” in the cure of leprosy.

He said this during his ministerial screening at the Senate on Wednesday. He was the sixth nominee to be screened by the lawmakers.

Mr Onu, who is a former governor of Abia State, briefed the Senate of his achievements during his tenure as a minister. He said his ministry did something revolutionary by gradually moving Nigeria away from an economy depending on resources to become knowledge and innovation-driven.

He said an agency under the Ministry of Science and Technology has already developed and gone very far in the cure for one of the very deadly diseases.

“But it is normally a very long process to pass through the certification,” Mr Onu said.

“To show you that we have achieved so much, the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development agency has developed a drug, using our own local herbs, that is being used to test women who have breast cancer. This will take some time before the certification is completed.”

The former minister also stressed the need for Nigerian institutions to commercialise their research findings.
When asked what would be his focus if re-appointed minister of science and technology, he said one of the things his ministry wanted to achieve was to promote research findings.