By Braide Damiete

Dr. Oluwafemi Adeleke Ojo is a Nigerian biochemist whose work sits at the intersection of metabolic disease, molecular pharmacology and medicinal plants. He has published widely in top indexed journals (Scientific Reports, PLOS ONE, Frontiers in Pharmacology, RSC Advances, Journal of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics), served on editorial boards, and earned competitive distinctions, including support from the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Biochemical Society. Currently, a senior researcher through the SYS-LIFE MSCA COFUND programme, his focus remains anchored on problems that matter at home, rigorous, affordable interventions for diabetes and its complications.

In his recently published article titled “Bioprospection of indigenous herbal formulations for diabetes care: in vitro, network pharmacology, and molecular dynamics studies” (BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2025), Dr. Ojo and collaborators built an end‒end pipeline that moves traditional multiherb remedies from anecdote to evidence. The team first verified antidiabetic activity in the laboratory (enzyme and cell assays) and then used network pharmacology to map which plant compounds affect key pathways (insulin signaling, carbohydrate metabolism, inflammation and oxidative stress). Finally, atom-by-atom molecular dynamics “stress tests” those interactions to prioritize the most promising molecules for follow-up. The result is a clear reproducible path from compounds to results, exactly the kind of evidence regulators, clinicians and industry need before investing in products or trials.

Why Matters for Nigerians

Diabetes is rising in both urban cities and rural areas in Nigeria, yet many families rely on familiar plants because modern therapies can be costly or difficult to access. Approximately three million adults (20–79 years) are living with diabetes. Ojo’s framework does not promote guesswork; it filters indigenous knowledge through modern science, standardized doses, marker compounds for quality control, safety checks, and measurable clinical outcomes. This can translate into safer, affordable adjuncts to standard care at primary health centres and create local value chains for farmers cultivating verified species, small processors producing standardized extracts, and pharmacies dispensing products with real labels and batch consistency.

How government can help researchers

There are many challenges and limitations to research in Nigeria, ranging from a lack of funding for translational research to inadequate equipment and electricity inconsistency. However, the Federal Government can help in a number of ways including; creation of a translational botanical fund within TETFund/NSP/NRF to move candidates from the research laboratory to phase I/II trials (a milestone-based grant that requires safety, standardization and ethics approvals).

The National Core Facilities built high amounts of equipment, including NMR, LC‒MS, HPLC‒MS, MS and bioassay hubs, in each geo-political zone, so researchers have not lost months to equipment and reagent bottlenecks.

Regulatory Fast-Lane at NAFDAC for research grade plant extracts and clear guidance on marker compounds, good manufacturing practice for pilot production, and an advisory programme pairing scientists with assessors early.

Clinical Trial Networks (CTN) in teaching hospitals for small, well-designed botanical trials with standard metabolic endpoints (HbA1c, OGTT, lipid panels, inflammatory markers).

Procurement relief is vital to quality research. A central mechanism to import critical reagents/equipment at research rates and timelines.

Benefit Sharing and Access Policies. To protect communities that supply plant material while ensuring affordable pricing for patients if products succeed.

Way forward for translational research

Nigeria needs teams that span phytochemistry, pharmacology, endocrinology, toxicology, bioinformatics and manufacturing. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), open datasets, and national plant repositories should be set up by default. Every promising extract should pass the same processing phase of efficacy, mechanism, safety, standardisation and pilot clinical study. Ojo offers the template.

How industry can collaborate

Industry plays a major role in investing in research that has potential for impact and economic value. There are a number of ways that industry can collaborate with universities and scientists across the length and breadth of Nigeria. The methods are not limited to the following; Grant provisions for institutions and scientists to develop their products.

MOUs with universities around specific plant leads should be developed, risked with milestone payments (hit the marker compound, complete good laboratory practice toxicology studies, file with NAFDAC and then provide funding for the next phase) should be shared.

Sponsoring research fellows. For example, PhD/postdoc scientists inside companies, for studies that solve real GMP and scale-up problems.

University core labs are used for batch release testing (marker compounds, microbial limits, and stability), paying service fees that keep facilities in solvent.

By contracting with farmers for authenticated species and investing in good agricultural and collection practices (GACPs), quality from the field can be guaranteed.

Nigerian SMEs are paired with international nutraceutical firms for packaging, distribution and export once standards are met.

Ojo’s research replaces trial-and-error with a clear, testable route from indigenous formulations to clinic-ready candidates. With targeted government support and industry partnerships, Nigeria can turn its biodiversity and scientific talent into safe, standardised, affordable tools against diabetes and improve health in both rural clinics and urban hospitals while building a home-grown bio-economy.

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