How Nigeria’s ‘algorithmic apothecary’ fuels a surge in risky herbal cures

Unverified herbal remedies promoted on social media are driving rising health risks and delayed treatment in Nigeria.

Abuja, Nigeria – Oke Bola thought a fertility supplement she found online might help her conceive. Instead, within days of taking it, she struggled to breathe. Her experience reflects a growing online trade in unverified herbal remedies promoted across social media.

Bola (not her real name), who is in her early 40s and has never had children, said she bought the supplement earlier this year and increased the recommended dosage, hoping for quicker results after hearing about it from friends and family.

“I recognised the symptoms of asthma; the wheezing sound at night was familiar,” she told Al Jazeera. “When I checked online, I realised it could be from the herbal medication.”

Bola said her symptoms eased after she stopped taking the product. Without consulting a doctor, she assumed the reaction was linked to incorrect dosage and resumed use as instructed.

The product, Jinja Herbal Mixture, is marketed for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.

A 2025 Nigeria-based study, titled The Toxicological Evaluation of Jinja: A Local Herbal Mixture (LHM), found it appeared safe for short-term use within tested dosage ranges, offering some support for its traditional use. But researchers also recorded biochemical changes at higher doses, including altered creatinine and sodium levels in test subjects, signs of possible kidney and liver stress.

The study called for further research into long-term effects and interactions with conventional medicines.

Another user, 47-year-old Temi Ahondiwura, a master’s graduate from the University of Ibadan, said a herbal eye treatment bought through Facebook worsened her vision problems. It was her first time trying such a remedy.

Marketed by social media influencers, the product claimed to treat multiple eye conditions.

“At first, I felt itching, but I thought that was part of the process,” she told Al Jazeera. “When it continued, I stopped and went back to my prescribed optical lenses.”

Stories like these are becoming increasingly common, according to pharmacist Akinade Akinlolu and Dr Egemba Chinonso Fidelis.

Across Nigeria, doctors and pharmacists say a surge in social media-driven self-medication, particularly involving unverified herbal products, is worsening health outcomes, delaying treatment and adding pressure to an already strained system. High costs of care, shortages of medical equipment and the migration of health workers abroad have further weakened a system servi