AAUA Don advocates funding for plant-based research

By Tolulope Eniola

An organic chemist at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Prof. Adebisi Olonisakin, has called for increased government and stakeholder funding for plant-based research, stressing its critical role in improving healthcare and driving economic growth.

Olonisakin made the call on Tuesday while delivering the university’s 57th inaugural lecture titled “Nature’s Pharmacy: Unlocking the Secrets of Plant Secondary Metabolites.”

He emphasised that sustained investment in research on plant secondary metabolites would enable Africa to develop home-grown solutions to health challenges, reduce dependence on imported drugs, and strengthen its economy.

According to him, plant-based compounds have long contributed to medicine, food production and industrial development, noting that their diverse biological properties present vast opportunities for innovation.

The professor explained that secondary metabolites, natural compounds found in plant parts such as leaves, roots, bark and seeds, play protective roles in plants and serve as valuable raw materials for drug development.

While describing nature as a “pharmacy” with immense healing potential, Olonisakin urged researchers and students to focus more on indigenous plants, many of which remain underutilised despite their medicinal value.

He noted that diseases such as malaria continue to pose serious health challenges, worsened by growing resistance to conventional insecticides, thereby underscoring the need for alternative solutions through plant-based research.

Olonisakin also highlighted key challenges in the field, including complex extraction processes, low yield of compounds, instability, and limitations in analytical techniques.

To address these issues, he advocated the establishment of well-equipped laboratories, central analytical facilities, and biotechnology research units, alongside stronger policy support and sustainable management practices.

He further called for the creation of botanical gardens across states and the promotion of conservation awareness through clubs in schools and local communities.

In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of AAUA, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, described Olonisakin as a distinguished scholar whose research bridges the gap between traditional knowledge and modern science, commending his contributions to solution-driven research.