The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has inaugurated a committee to drive the integration of traditional and orthodox medicine as part of efforts to improve healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

The committee was inaugurated on Wednesday at the Olubadan Palace in Oke Aremo, Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State.

According to Punch Newspapers, the monarch, represented by the Director-General of the Olubadan Palace, Basiru Olanrewaju, said the initiative is aimed at ensuring both healthcare systems complement each other for better medical outcomes.

Ladoja said traditional medicine remains effective and should work alongside orthodox medicine to serve the healthcare needs of Nigerians.

He noted that integrating both systems would benefit not only residents of Ibadanland but also the wider Nigerian population.

“I believe in the efficacy of traditional medicine because I use it and it works. Therefore, there is a need for both systems to complement each other in the delivery of healthcare,” the monarch said.

The committee includes representatives from the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, the Olubadan Palace, and researchers in traditional medicine.

Members were urged to work diligently towards achieving the objective of the initiative, with periodic meetings scheduled to ensure effective implementation.

The move follows an earlier call by Ladoja on May 14, 2026, when he advocated stronger collaboration between traditional and modern medicine while receiving executives of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Oyo State branch.

At the time, the monarch stressed that traditional medicine remains accessible and affordable for many Nigerians and warned that indigenous medical knowledge should not be lost.