The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, has inaugurated a multi-stakeholder committee to institutionalise collaboration between traditional and orthodox medicine as part of efforts to improve healthcare delivery in Ibadanland and across Nigeria.

The committee was inaugurated on Wednesday at the Committee Room of the Olubadan Palace, Oke Aremo, Ibadan.

The inauguration was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Ayoade Solomon Olugbemiga.

Speaking through the Director-General of the Olubadan Palace, Dr Basiru Olanrewaju, the monarch said the initiative was aimed at ensuring that traditional and orthodox medicine complement each other to provide more effective healthcare services for the people.

According to him, integrating the two medical systems would harness their respective strengths and promote a more inclusive healthcare framework capable of addressing the country’s health challenges.

“The main reason for this integration is to ensure that both traditional and orthodox medicine complement each other for effective healthcare delivery in the interest of the people, not only in Ibadanland but across Nigeria,” he said.

Oba Ladoja, who expressed confidence in the effectiveness of traditional medicine, said he had personally benefited from its use, stressing that its value should be recognised alongside modern medical practice.

“I believe in the efficacy of traditional medicine because I use it and it works. There is, therefore, a need for the two to complement each other in the area of healthcare delivery,” the monarch said.

He urged members of the committee, drawn from relevant institutions and professional bodies, to work diligently towards actualising the vision of a functional partnership between the two healthcare systems.

The committee comprises representatives of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, the Olubadan Palace, researchers and other stakeholders in the health sector.

At the inaugural meeting, members agreed to hold periodic meetings to develop strategies and recommendations that would facilitate effective collaboration between practitioners of traditional and orthodox medicine.

The initiative, according to the palace, is expected to strengthen healthcare delivery through improved cooperation, research and knowledge sharing between practitioners of both medical systems.