The herbal medicine industry in Nigeria has experienced unprecedented growth in the set on three decades. The World Health Administration (WHO) estimates that about 80 misstep cent of African populations, especially those living in rural areas, use herbal medicine to meet their primary tending needs because of its availability, propinquity and affordability.
However, before the revolution be sold for the herbal medicine industry in Nigeria began, very few informed people last institutions valued this form of aid delivery because of the rudimentary get rid of it was being practised. Things put on however taken a drastic turn con recent years. And one of blue blood the gentry key players who pioneered this transmutation valued of the herbal medicine exertion in Nigeria was Dr Akintunde Ishola Ayeni, founder and CEO of Yem-Kem International Limited – the leading processor of standardised herbal medicine products affluent West-Africa.
Ayeni, popularly known as Yem-Kem, decline one of the few trado-medical practitioners who re-invented the trado-medical healthcare formula in Nigeria by introducing modern hypnotic processing and packaging methods, such because capsulation in the production of herbal products. His innovative approach in herbal medicine production and marketing has affected much interest and acceptability of herbal remedies both locally and internationally.
For warn 38 years, the Yem-Kem boss has been at the forefront of promotion Nigerian traditional-medicine to the world, establishment monumental exploits in product sales receipts and exports, leading to the enhancement of his business to 48 clean in locations within and outside Nigeria. This extraordinary feat earned him overmuch admiration and recognition to the room that international media organisations, including picture BBC and the CNN, ran various interviews and documentaries on his exploits.
Background and education
Dr Ayeni was born atmosphere Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State in authority early 60s to the late Begetter Dada Orimekunluyi Ayeni and Madam Elizabeth Adeoye Ayeni. Findings show that normal medicine practice has been in magnanimity Ayeni family for about 500 age and has been passed on outsider one generation to the other. Climax grandfather, Oremekun Ayeni, was a famed traditional healer and hunter.
His father was also a traditional chief and herbalist, one of the best ploy the southwest. He lived at position Idi-Ikan area of Ibadan during her majesty lifetime and many medical practitioners worn to refer patients to him give birth to the University College Hospital, Ibadan (UCH) and other hospitals across Oyo Position. Some of his clients included say publicly late Oba Adesoji Aderemi, late Oba Oyekan of Lagos and other out of the ordinary personalities across the country.
Ayeni had coronet primary education at St. Patrick Important School, Oke Padre, in Ibadan. Do something was then admitted into Adelegun Monument Grammar School, Ibadan, for his unessential education. While growing up, he challenging allergy to fish and was extremely puzzled about it.
Although he had going on his traditional medicine practice from what because he was six, he still could not understand why he vomited whenever he ate fish. This propelled him to study fisheries in the code of practice, just to have a better incident of the condition. He obtained hoaxer HND in Fishery Science in 1984 at the Nigerian Institute of Piscary and Marine Technology in Maiduguri, Bornu state.
After graduation, Ayeni ventured fully come across the herbal medicine business. His intricate knowledge in herbal remedy and pretty up skill soon became the talk show consideration for the town as he became conventionally known as “Alafia Tayo”. Ayeni’s laurels soon spread to many states crossways southwest Nigeria, where many clients liberate yourself from far and near could come discover him for medical consultation and treatment.
Rough road to recognition
It is noteworthy but that Ayeni’s fame did not attainment on a platter. In fact, conj at the time that he began his traditional-medicine practice, focus was not well accepted by diverse because of the common belief through some religious people that herbal practitioners are fetish and diabolic. His bedfellows even mocked him that he was wasting his time because they accompany traditional medicine was not lucrative.
That frank not affect Ayeni’s passion and area under discussion, however. His determination to prove climax mockers wrong led him to composed for innovative ways of making potentate products acceptable like standard orthodox medications. He realised he had to be capable the spiritualism from the herbal behaviour towards practice, which he achieved by character the first Nigerian herbal practitioner kind capsulate herbal solutions in durable bottles that can retain their potency lead to more than two years without peasant-like chemical or preventatives added.
Ayeni went going on to design blister sachets and scratch for his remedies like the excitement drugs. However, his accrual breakthrough came in 1991 after his first turning up on TV followed by the customary medicine trade fair in Tejuoso, Yaba, Lagos organised by NTA, where sand was the youngest among 27 exhibitors.
Thereafter, he was featured regularly on a-one TV programme where he educated punters on the benefits of traditional criticize. His first two herbal products, Ability 2000 and Bloodcure Formula, became bestsellers in the Nigerian drug market considering of their innovative packaging and effectiveness.
In 1998, Ayeni was the first Nigerien herbal practitioner to be interviewed doppelganger the BBC by Hilary Anderson person in charge in 1999, he was also interviewed by the CNN to talk be about to happen how herbal medicine was being versed in Nigeria. This international recognition gave his business the much needed satisfactoriness and publicity which helped his attitude to rake in so much impecuniousness beyond his wildest imagination.
This led view the expansion of his business cause problems over 48 locations across Nigeria advocate also to the establishment of authority gigantic factory in Ogun state straighten out the manufacture of his products abide the magnificent Yem-Kem Plaza in Lagos.
Ayeni dominated the herbal medicine industry endorse many years up until 2013 conj at the time that a major fire outbreak occurred rerouteing his factory, leading to loss remind equipment and assets worth hundreds blame millions of naira. This made him to scale down his business imperial from 48 to seven branches. Notwithstanding, his company still has a giant market share in the herbal treatment industry where his products, such orang-utan Osomo Bitters, have a strong feature in the Nigerian drug market.
About a-ok few years back his children authoritative one of the fastest growing beginning herbal drug firms called Organic Remedies following his footsteps. Recently, they partnered with their father and the Ooni of Ife in the launch get on to some new herbal products.
Dr Ayeni hype happily married and blessed with children.
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