The Federal Government says it is intensifying efforts to support farmers for local production of anti-malaria drugs through the planting of Artemisia Annua.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, stated this at a workshop organised for farmers in Jos on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was with the theme: “Deployment of Technical Knowhow on Production and Commercialisation of Artemisia Annua.”

The minister, represented by the Artemisia Officer, Horticulture Division, Mr Obasi Ikemefuna, said that the workshop was to train local farmers on production protocol and commercialisation of the crop.

NAN reports that Artemisia Annua, native to China, is prominent because of its compound called Artemisinin which is found in the plant biomass.

The compound is used for production of Artemisinin Combination-based Therapy (ACT) malaria drugs.

“Under this administration, we have thought it wise for using Artemesia Annua to produce malaria drugs.

“The federal government is looking at import substitution to reduce importation by empowering our local farmers to produce Artemetasin locally.

“We have more than 120 pharmaceutical companies that can supply it in the country,” he said.

Abubakar noted that growing the crop locally would create job opportunities in the commodity’s value chain.

He added that planting the crop would also reduce the cost of malaria drugs and the mortality rate to its barest minimum.

He called on private companies to join hands with the federal government by investing in the production of the crop.

The minister also called on state governments to invest in the machines used in extracting Artemisia, adding that it would boost the economy of states.

Prof. Chike Ogbonna, a Bio-technology expert and Project Leader, Artemesia Annua Research Nigeria, explained that the project was conceived in 2007, in collaboration with World Bank.

He said that it aimed to key into the World Health Organisation’s recommendation that ACTs be made first line treatment for the control of malaria.

Ogbonna stated that Nigeria now had the best specie of the plant after it raised the Artemesia content from 0.8 per cent to 4.8 per cent.

He said that Nigeria lost N484 billion to the treatment of malaria annually, thus putting ‘holes’ in the country’s economy.

Ogbonna further said that based on research, the plant could also be used to make drugs for the management of diabetes and high blood pressure as well as in reduction of malignant cancer.

National Chairman, National Association of Artemisia Farmers, Mr Emmanuel Imhagwe, said that the best variation of the plant could be grown in almost all the 36 states of the federation.

According to him, Nigeria losses huge sums of money to importation of Artemisia from China and India, adding that with local production, foreign exchange can be diverted to local farmers for their own benefit and that of the economy.