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Amid the current mixed atmosphere of gloom and doom in Nigeria, as exemplified by the spiraling inflation, collapsing exchange rate in an import dependent economy, worsened by the seeming loss of confidence by most Nigerians in the ability of the state to manage the economy – employment, health, education, etc, it was a bit rejuvenating attending an event which offered a glimmer of hope that a new, better Nigeria is possible, if the country is refocused in the right direction, instead of doing same thing all the time and expecting a different result.
The event was the 192nd Inaugural Lecture of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka(UNN), delivered recently by Professor (Mrs.) Uchenna Estella Odoh, a Professor of Pharmacognosy and Environmental Medicine, UNN.
The Topic was, “Nature’s Biosynthetic Laboratory: Providing Alternative Medicine For Diabetes mellitus”.
Prof Odoh, who is a prolific researcher, has published over 13 books, 26 book chapters, over 100 journal articles published in leading journals.
She has attended over 27 workshops, 44 Conferences in Nigeria, USA, China, Germany, Britain, India, France, with many research grants and achievement awards to her credit.
Her lecture, which was very informative and inspiring, added that she shone brightly in a Nigerian academic environment bedeviled by the never ending Acedemic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU)/Federal Government face-offs.
Her lecture, which was a tour on the efficacy of alternative medicine in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, backed by scientific research and evidence, noted that, “with proper funding of research and production in Nigeria, alternative medicine could play a key role in improving our health sector and also foreign exchange earnings from the export of these health products.”
According to her lecture, “it appears that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) is playing an important role in research funding of Nigerian institutions of higher learning, but a lot more needs to be done by both the Public and Private Sectors”.
On her specific lecture topic of Diabetes Mellitus (DM), a metabolic disease that affects people of all ages and is characterized by increase in blood sugar(glucose) above the recommended normal level as a result of the body’s inability to produce or utilize insulin, the Lecturer presented some scientific research data which showed the usefulness of alternative medicine in the management of DM. 
“Of course”, she restated that the essential elements of managing diabetes are exercising, losing weight, maintaining it, consuming fewer calories, and eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts rather than junk food. She further said, “Details of research on some local plants and herbs that could be used for the management and treatment of many diseases including DM were contained in the lecture.
The inaugural lecturer highly recommended the lecture to all those who are interested in alternative medicine.
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