Towards conservation of Nigerian medicinal plants

Threatened medicinal and economic plants of the Sudan Savanna in Katsina State, northwestern Nigeria

“…The loss of biodiversity in Nigeria is escalating alarmingly ('Assessment of the threats to biodiversity' Convention on Biological Diversity [CBD] n.d.; Ihunweze n.d.). This is more pronounced in seven states across the northwestern and northeastern geopolitical zones of Nigeria, which are threatened by the adverse effect of desertification, posing a significant threat to agriculture, food security and water resources (Dike & Obembe 2012;Gbile 1992;Wakili 2016). These seven states, mostly bordering the Republic of Niger and characterised by Sudano-Sahelian Savanna, are grappling with the challenge of desertification, which advances at 0.6 km every year, leading to soil erosion and disruption of the ecosystem (Smith 2000: 2).…”

“…These seven states, mostly bordering the Republic of Niger and characterised by Sudano-Sahelian Savanna, are grappling with the challenge of desertification, which advances at 0.6 km every year, leading to soil erosion and disruption of the ecosystem (Smith 2000: 2). This adverse effect is attributed primarily to persistent deforestation and a loss of ground cover, extensive overgrazing and other faulty farming practices (Borokini 2014;Dike & Obembe 2012;Emma-Okafor & Ibeawuchi 2010). The vegetation cover of the Savanna is economically and medicinally important as a large number of Africans use medicinal and aromatic plants that are known to be reservoirs of curative elements in the treatment of various diseases ranging from malaria, diabetes, mental disorders, cancer and hypertension to HIV and AIDS (Bello et al 2011a(Bello et al , 2011bDike & Obembe 2012;Okigbo 2009).…”

“…This adverse effect is attributed primarily to persistent deforestation and a loss of ground cover, extensive overgrazing and other faulty farming practices (Borokini 2014;Dike & Obembe 2012;Emma-Okafor & Ibeawuchi 2010). The vegetation cover of the Savanna is economically and medicinally important as a large number of Africans use medicinal and aromatic plants that are known to be reservoirs of curative elements in the treatment of various diseases ranging from malaria, diabetes, mental disorders, cancer and hypertension to HIV and AIDS (Bello et al 2011a(Bello et al , 2011bDike & Obembe 2012;Okigbo 2009). However, increasing demand, coupled with harmful unsustainable collecting habits, threatens the survival of these plants as well as the livelihood of the general population who rely on the overall natural system (Borokini 2014;Emma-Okafor & Ibeawuchi 2010).…”

“…In Katsina State, the Ministry of Environment implemented the Great Green Wall Project (greatgreenwall.org; UN Convention to Combat Desertification), which seeks to establish shelter belts in dry regions of the world as a step to tackle the menace of desertification. To the best of our knowledge, there has never been an up-to-date assessment of the status and distribution of threatened species in Katsina as has been reported from some other places, for example the southern part of Nigeria (Chukwuma et al 2015;Dike & Obembe 2012;Emma-Okafor & Ibeawuchi 2010), Senegal (Zizka et al 2015) and southern Africa (Victor & Dold 2003). The list compiled here is primarily to identify those taxa most in need of conservation attention, thereby assisting conservationists, farmers, landowners and land managers by providing clear information for conservation of threatened species.…”