The Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board has disclosed plans to establish a presence in Badagry in order to make its services easily accessible for traditional practitioners within the Division.

The Chairman of Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board (LSTMB), Prof. Adebukunola Adefule-Ositelu, made this known during an advocacy and sensitisation programme held at the Badagry Town Hall, saying that the stage is now set for a zonal office to be opened in the ancient town, the same way the Board established a zonal office in Ikorodu for traditional medicine practitioners within the axis.

Prof. Adefule-Ositelu, who is also a renowned traditional medicine practitioner, explained that the establishment of the zonal offices was to save stakeholders the stress of coming to the Agency’s Head Office at Onikan for support services that could be provided at the grassroots.

She also called on traditional medicine practitioners within Badagry to comply with the law by registering with the Board.

Her words: “The State government is strongly dependent on the support and cooperation of practitioners as an arm of government and partners in progress in its efforts towards achieving enormous success in the field of health”.

The Chairman maintained that meaningful impact and contributions from practitioners can only be felt if they are together in unity, speak with one voice and remain fully committed to their traditional medicine practice.

Advising traditional medicine practitioners to forge a common front in support of the government, Adefule-Ositelu said that such an initiative would elicit more confidence and earn them greater recognition by Lagos State.

She advised the practitioners to improve their practice through standardisation of their operations, proper book and record keeping as well as data collection, just as she charged them to expose fake or quack businesses within the Badagry Division to the Board for appropriate sanction,

The Registrar of the Board, Mr. Olorunkemi Kadiku, who was represented by the Director, Research, Training and Development, Mr. Hakeem Bello, said the Board is ready to render necessary assistance to practitioners for better performance.

He, however, enjoined the practitioners to play their obligatory roles as stipulated in the extant law guiding traditional medicine practice in the state.

Representatives of government Agencies like LIRS, LAWMA, LASIEC, Blood Transfusion Agency, Centre for Rural Development and AIDS Control Agency were also at the event to sensitise the participants about the various services rendered by the agencies.

Dignitaries in attendance at the event include other members of the Board, Chiefs, Leaders of Associations and members, Botanical and Herbal Dispensers (Alagbos); Herbal Ingredients Sellers (Elewe Omos); Traditional Herbalists (Oniseguns) and Traditional Birth Attendants (Agbebis) among others.