Concerns Over Unverified Herbal Remedies in Nigeria
Abuja, Nigeria – Oke Bola believed that a fertility supplement she discovered online might assist her in conceiving. However, just days after starting it, she found herself having trouble breathing. Her case highlights a rising trend of unverified herbal remedies being sold online, often pushed through social media.
Bola, a woman in her early 40s who has no children, purchased the supplement earlier this year and increased her dosage in hopes of achieving faster results after hearing positive reviews from friends. “I recognized the asthma symptoms; the wheezing at night was something I knew well,” she shared. “When I looked it up online, I realized it might be due to the herbal product.”
After discontinuing the product, her symptoms improved. Yet, without a doctor’s advice, she assumed a miscalculated dose was the issue and resumed taking it as recommended.
The supplement, known as Jinja Herbal Mixture, is advertised for its supposed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial benefits.
A 2025 study based in Nigeria titled “The Toxicological Evaluation of Jinja: A Local Herbal Mixture” indicated it seemed safe for short-term use within tested dosages, supporting its traditional applications. However, researchers found biochemical alterations at higher doses, such as changes in creatinine and sodium levels among test subjects, which could signify stress on the kidneys or liver.
The study emphasized the need for more research into the long-term impacts and potential interactions with conventional medicines.
Another example involves 47-year-old Temi Ahondiwura, who experienced worsening eyesight after using a herbal eye treatment purchased via Facebook—her first venture into such products. Marketed by influencers, the eye drops claimed to remedy various conditions.
Such narratives are becoming more prevalent, according to pharmacist Akinade Akinlolu and Dr. Egemba Chinonso Fidelis.
With just a smartphone, people find relief just a click away: fertility tonics, vision-restoring eye drops, and syrups that promise to “flush out” diseases. The ads are sleek and persistent, embedded in feeds on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X.
In Nigeria, healthcare professionals have noted a rise in self-medication driven by social media, particularly with unverified herbal products—a trend that’s worsening health outcomes and contributing to treatment delays, further straining an already challenged healthcare system. Issues like high care costs, medical equipment shortages, and healthcare personnel leaving the country only exacerbate the situation for about 230 million Nigerians.
With a young, connected population, many are turning to digital platforms for health advice. But this increased access has also led to an “algorithmic apothecary,” as described by Dr. Isaac Kolawole and Dr. Fidelis—an unregulated online market where influencers and anonymous sellers directly market remedies with little scientific basis.
Online Market Risks
A report from Surjen Healthcare, which offers home-based medical services, attributes rising self-medication rates in Nigeria to the easy access of health information online. Many individuals, driven by healthcare costs and distrust of formal medical systems, now seek guidance through social media, sometimes with harmful effects.
This trend is linked to increased drug resistance, delayed hospital visits, and a greater risk of exposure to unsafe or counterfeit products. Concurrently, the herbal medicine market continues to expand, yet weak online enforcement allows unverified goods to proliferate.
A study from 2025 revealed that many Nigerians are open to traditional remedies offered through digital channels, often influenced by social media. It found that 68 percent of surveyed patients were willing to consult traditional practitioners online, while 42 percent of traditional practitioners knew about such platforms, but only 19 percent utilized them. About 60 percent showed willingness to adopt these methods.
“These platforms amplify the issue,” Fidelis noted. “Their algorithms favor engaging content and push it to larger audiences,” he added.
Even those who try to avoid such ads often encounter them due to emotional storytelling, music, and urgency-laden messaging repeatedly surfacing online.
Health Consequences
Within this framework, herbal remedies—which have long been a part of Nigeria’s medical and cultural fabric—are increasingly marketed as miracle solutions, leading to potentially dangerous outcomes.
Doctors report that more patients are arriving at hospitals with significantly worsened conditions, often after using unverified treatments for prolonged periods.
Dr. Yemi Raji, a consultant nephrologist at the University College Hospital in Ibadan, noted that herbal medicine significantly affects kidney disease cases in Nigeria. While some plant-based treatments show promise, others can be harmful in excessive or extended doses.
“With herbal medicine, you’re essentially taking both beneficial and harmful components,” he noted, emphasizing that 5-7 percent of his patients fall into this category. “By the time they seek treatment, it’s often more challenging and costly,” he explained.
Dialysis sessions alone can cost between 50,000 and 100,000 naira ($36-72), multiple times a week.
“I advise avoiding medications that haven’t been approved by NAFDAC,” he cautioned. “If you’re unwell, seek proper medical attention.”
Dr. Raji and Dr. Fidelis remarked that people still widely use herbal medicine due to its affordability and cultural familiarity, especially in areas lacking formal healthcare. However, they stressed that the combination of weak regulations and online promotion introduces new risks.
Akinlolu, a pharmacist in Ibadan, highlighted how many online sellers utilize aggressive marketing to build trust. He pointed out that while conditions like diabetes and hypertension can be managed, online claims often suggest cures.
Economic pressures, too, drive people to seek cheaper or “miraculous” alternatives.
Fidelis, known as Aproko Doctor online, remarked that the trend for herbal cures reflects “confident health lies,” which are assertive but lack any real evidence.
“Real medicine does not claim to be a cure-all, nor does it rely on countdowns,” he stated. “Scammers do.”
“These issues aren’t new,” he continued. “The change lies in the marketing approach.”
He referred to studies linking herbal remedies to kidney and liver diseases across Africa, including findings that around 46 percent of liver disease admissions in a Nigerian hospital involved herbal treatments.
A 2022 study showed that 76.65 percent of participants had tried herbal medicine, primarily due to their belief in its efficacy. Over a third mixed herbal and conventional treatments, yet 82.44 percent kept their doctors uninformed.
Fidelis noted that the issue has become more prominent in online spaces and revealed that scammers have even appropriated AI-generated versions of his likeness to promote fake products.
“As long as there are no consequences for misleading health information online, this will persist,” he stated.
Regulators Struggle to Keep Up
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is working to identify unregistered manufacturers, but regulating this sector online is notably challenging.
Isaac Kolawole, the southwest zonal director of NAFDAC, explained that many vendors use fictitious or incomplete addresses, making them hard to trace.
NAFDAC demands strict registration, testing, and approval for herbal products before they can be advertised or sold. Still, it admits that regulation hasn’t kept pace with online market growth.
Kolawole mentioned that the agency has fined noncompliant manufacturers and taken enforcement action, but it aims for regulation, not suppression.
“They are our partners in progress,” he reassured.
Fidelis argued that merely strengthening regulations will not suffice. He insisted on improving access to affordable healthcare, rebuilding public trust, and calling for digital platforms to take responsibility for the health content they circulate.
As Nigeria’s digital economy expands, Fidelis warned that the intersection of technology and healthcare will only become more intricate.
“Without stronger safeguards,” he cautioned, “the algorithmic apothecary will continue to escalate and put more individuals at risk.”
