How herbalists make brisk business with local concoctions

They normally advertise their medicine by listing the different kind of ailments it can cure; sometimes they use microphones to advertise the commodity. The traditional medicine has provided business opportunity for many people; the young and the elderly. The women are also not left behind. Concoctions commonly sold in the city are those prepared for […]

They normally advertise their medicine by listing the different kind of ailments it can cure; sometimes they use microphones to advertise the commodity. The traditional medicine has provided business opportunity for many people; the young and the elderly. The women are also not left behind.

Concoctions commonly sold in the city are those prepared for the cure of pile and yellow fever. These concoctions are packaged in polythene bags like the popular local Zobo drink and sold at the cost of N5 per bag.

Investigation by Pyramid Trust revealed that the medicines are patronised more by people living in the city than those from the rural areas. The reasons according to findings are that people in the urban areas consume more of fatty and sugary food; the two items that are said to be the main causes of pile and yellow fever, than the villagers whose food are largely vegetables and wholesome cereals.

Further investigation revealed that the concoction are consumed by almost all categories of people; though with high numbers coming from drivers, tailors and people whose business requires too much sitting.

Malam Kabiru Ya’u Gwale who sells his pile and yellow fever medicine in Mandawari area of Gwale Local Government said the two concoctions were first formulated by his grandparents and since then their family has been known with the medicine. He said at the initial stage the medicines were sold at home because it was popularly known for the medicines.

He said, “At first the medicines were sold at home but when the demand became too much and people were coming from far places to buy, we decided to come out so that patronisers can easily have access to it,” he said.

Ya’u said he inherited the business from his father and for the past fifteen years, it has been his only source of income and he was doing well with the proceeds of the business.

He added that since he started the business, he had introduced many youths into it and they were all doing very well now. And even as he conducts the business now, he still has some boys that are assisting him in selling the medicine According to him they normally start the business around 8am and close by 10pm, disclosing that he makes up to one to two thousand naira a day.

Asked what the concoctions were made from, Ya’u said it was the mixture of about six to eight different herbs, adding that some of the components could not be revealed because it was a secret of their profession. “If you like I can tell you the names of some of the herbs but I cannot tell you the names of all because it is our secret. For the pile it is a mixture of eight different herbs while for the yellow fever we mix about six different types of herbs,” said Ya’u.

He observed that fat, sugar and pepper were the major causes of pile, saying the disease could be controlled if people avoided too much fat, sugar and pepper.

Asked if he had ever received complain from buyers about any side effect, he said there had never been any   complain. “There has never been a reported case of complications or any side effect from users of this medicine.” he said.

He added that instead of complains, they have been receiving commendations from their customers acknowledging the efficacy of the concoctions.

According to him the level of acceptance was increasing by the day. He said when he brought the business out of the confines of their home; he was selling it at just one location but now the concoction was sold at so many locations across the Kano metropolis. This is in addition to the many youths he had trained who were conducting their own business as well.

Some of the buyers interviewed, mostly drivers affirmed the efficacy of the concoctions in relieving the pains of pile and inconveniences associated with the ailment.