The Provost, Open International College of Naturopathic Medicine (OICNM), Dr Qazeem Olawale, has affirmed that the institution is focused and determined to end quackery in the field of natural medicine.
Olawale stated this at the 6th convocation ceremony of the institution in Lagos State with theme: Redefining Natural Medicine in Nigeria — the Power of Global Togetherness and Reinforcement.
At the convocation, 14 students were awarded diploma degrees in Natural Reproductive and Infertility Medicine (NARIM) and Clinical Acupuncture.
The provost, Olawale in his speech, said: “It has been my desire to phase out quackery in the practice. If there is any field so much infiltrated by quacks, it is the natural medicine. We want to be able to silence those who berate the practice of natural medicine in Nigeria due to the high level of quackery.
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“My passion is to see Nigeria stand out whenever natural medicine is mentioned was what fueled my passion for OICNM.
“Many people with passion for naturopathic medicine are often held back by financial incapability. OICNM was founded so as not to break the bank to enroll in natural medicine programmes.”
Chairman, Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board (TMB), Professor Adebukunola Adefule-Ositelu, in her lecture, lamented how Africa lost its valuable cultures and traditions through colonisation and indifferences.
Affirming how endowed the African continent is, she advised that there’s need for a re-organisation and improvement of mindsets.
She said: “We are greatly endowed in Africa. The greatest physician (God Almighty) has given us this endowment to help our health, and dominate lesser creators but colonisation has affected us, because many have been made to see these things as fetish.
“During Ebola period, we had solutions to tackle it, even COVID-19 we had products that were effective that could have treated it, but due to poor acceptance from developed countries, it affected us.”
Meanwhile, the President of OICNM, Ahmad AbdulAzeez, in his remarks, admonished graduands to believe in themselves.
Abdulazeez stated that the college has significantly contributed to the field of natural medicine in Nigeria, and has also trained new generation of practitioners who are equipped with the knowledge, skills and passion to thrive in the field.
He said: “Believe in yourself, believe in your abilities and your potential. You’re the future, and the world is waiting for you.
“The world is changing rapidly and we are facing new and complex challenges, but I know that our graduands have what it takes to be a part of the solution. They possess the knowledge, the skills and the passion to make a difference in the world.”
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