The Eunice Spring of Life Foundation (ESLF) has established a Community Seed Bank at Jato Aka, Kwande local government, Benue to promote sustainable traditional medicinal practices.
In her remarks during the commissioning of the project on Thursday in Jato Aka, the founder of ESLF, Dr Eunice Ortom, said that
the aim was to also address biodiversity loss in addition to promoting sustainable medicinal practices among the Ugbe indigenous people of Kwande local government.
The ESLF succeeded in establishing the seed bank in Jato Aka with the supported of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-Global Environment Facility-Small Grants Programme (UNDP-GEF-SGP).
Ortom who was represented by the Programme Coordinator of ESLF, Dr Comfort Abaa, added that the motive was to bring added value to the practice of traditional medicine for which the people of Ugbe were famous with.
She assured that ESLF in partnership with UNDP-GEF-SGP would make it meet international best practice in terms of production, packaging and marketing which would boost the income of individual practitioners, emphasising that it would also enhance the prosperity of their community and improve the economy of both the state and country at large.
She pointed out that they had partnered with National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to constantly train the traditional medicine practitioners through ideal hygienic production processes and the right steps to follow to register and acquire NAFDAC Number in line with standard practices in the country.
Meanwhile, Second Class Chief of Kwande, Engr. Timothy Ahile, expressed joy at the commissioning of the community seed bank which was midwifed by ESLF for the preservation of medicinal herbs in Moon District of Kwandeocal government.
“Today’s event is significant for the fact that we are losing most of the herbs through indiscriminate bush burning and a lot of tree felling.
"What our forefathers used, which is herbs, for medicinal purposes are fast disappearing but this intervention will help forests to be re-populated with those same herbs that have been assisting our people to address health challenges and it will go a long way to improve the health of the community," Ahile said.
Also, the Project Manager of the GEF-SGP Project, Mr Tine Agernor thanked the various stakeholders and members of the community for supporting the success of the project, noting that it would have a significant impact on the community even in the future.
The District Head of Moon, Gabriel Wende, expressed gratitude to the foundation and GEF-SGP for developing and constructing the seed bank for his people and sensitising them about biodiversity conservation.
The Member Representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency, Hon. Terseer Ugbor represented by his Constituency Office Director, Hon. Patrick Pev described the project as a worthy one worthy of everyone's support.
The Head of Department of Agriculture, Kwande local government, Mr Damian Achinge and Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kwande local government, Pastor Patrick Chi, all hailed the idea and efforts behind the project and called for security in the area to protect it project so that it could achieve the purpose for which it was set up.
The Chairman of the Project Implementation Committee, Mr Thaddeus Nyooso, who described the project as a health boosting and restoration of domestic and global biodiversity.
