The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Sunday explained why it has not approved any herbal product for the treatment of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
The NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, in a statement signed by the agency resident Media Consultant, Mr. Olusayo Akintola, in Abuja, said “no single drug has been found yet to cure COVID -19.”
She also warned Nigerians against excessive consumption of onions and garlic in a bid to cure COVID-19.
According to her, the medicinal products available now could only ease symptoms and increase chances of survival.
The NAFDAC chief warned Nigerian researchers and other herbal medicine practitioners to desist from parading unverified drugs for the virus.
She said any product without NAFDAC approval for the cure of COVID-19 is null and void.
Adeyeye said: “If it is not documented, it cannot be recognised by NAFDAC for COVID-19. They work on our cells to keep people healthier, but not to cure COVID-19. They help our body to function better. There is no cure for COVID-19 yet.
“If you eat garlic and onion and you don’t use a face mask you will get COVID-19. If you are in a bad environment; if you don’t wash your hands, you will get COVID-19.
“Everything has to be put together. University of Jos said there was herbal medicine, whether it is tea or whatever that can cure COVID-19, they linked it with the treatment of COVID -19 and did the packaging.
‘’We did a letter to warn them that they cannot claim something unless it has gone through our listing process. They were trying to sell it to their staff. That is a violation of our own regulatory policies.
“Nobody should say that this one can cure this or that without going through NAFDAC listing process, the research into herbal medicine by the academia is normal.”
