NBTE Constitutes Council on Traditional Medicine, Homeland Security 

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja 

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has inaugurated a sector skill council (SSC) on traditional medicine and homeland security.

The SSC is focused on promoting indigenous skills and bolstering the development of local pharmaceutical raw materials and products.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja, the Executive Secretary, NBTE, Prof. Idris M. Bugaje, said the constitution of the council signified NBTE’s commitment to harnessing the potential of traditional medicine and improving the situation of security agencies in Nigeria.

He said, “Traditional medicine has been a very important pillar in the health care system in Nigeria, even before the creation of Nigeria, and this is a very important area that NBTE believes needs to be addressed in terms of the training they provide to practitioners.

“During the last 12 months the board had held series of workshops with relevant stakeholders including the Federal Ministry of Health, Pharmacist Council of Nigeria and Herbal Practitioners across the geo-political zones to develop the National Occupational Standards which provides guidelines for the training and retraining of herbal practitioners. 

 “To effectively monitor and ensure that the training is delivered according to the roles of the game, it is important to have a Council that will supervise to ensure that the guidelines are delivered appropriately,” he stated.

The Committee would be chaired by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC).

Other members of the council include the Nigeria Police, the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) amongst others.