LAUTECH don urges FG to declare emergency on shortage of plant taxonomy experts
pannigeriannews
3 min read
By Sunday Adepoju
A Professor of Plant Taxonomy at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Adepoju Tunde Joseph Ogunkunle, has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on the dwindling number of plant taxonomy specialists in Nigeria.
Prof. Ogunkunle warned that declining interest in plant taxonomy, coupled with the shortage of specialists, could undermine efforts to conserve biodiversity, improve food security, advance herbal medicine research and ensure the sustainable utilisation of plant resources.
He made the call while delivering LAUTECH’s 76th inaugural lecture titled, “Making Sense Out of Chaos: Taxonomy as a Universal ‘Digestive System’ Amidst Plentiful Harvest But Few Workers.”
The professor lamented that despite the enormous wealth of plant resources and the growing need for scientific knowledge to identify, classify and utilise them, the number of specialists equipped to undertake the work remained inadequate.
He described the situation as one of plentiful harvest but few workers, stressing that the challenge was no longer primarily a lack of technological facilities but declining human interest in the discipline.
According to him, the situation requires urgent intervention to attract younger generations of scientists to plant taxonomy and strengthen the capacity of the country to study and preserve its vegetation.
As part of the measures to address the challenge, Ogunkunle urged the federal, state and local governments to encourage more young Nigerians to study botany and plant biology through scholarships, bursary awards and other forms of financial assistance.
He also called for improved funding for botanical research and the consideration of a National Institute of Botany, a proposal previously advocated by scholars including Egunyomi in 1993 and supported by Ayodele in 2017.
The don explained that plant taxonomy, which involves the identification, naming and classification of plants, was fundamental to several areas of human development, including agriculture, medicine, biotechnology, environmental management and biodiversity conservation.
He noted that accurate identification and classification of plants were essential to the authentication of medicinal plants, quality control of herbal medicines, assessment of genetic diversity and the development of effective conservation policies.
According to him, neglecting taxonomy would weaken the foundation upon which biological sciences and their practical applications depend.
Ogunkunle also urged universities and other tertiary institutions to incorporate taxonomic reasoning into their curricula across disciplines, noting that its principles of classification, standardisation, analytical thinking and evidence-based decision-making were applicable beyond the biological sciences.
He encouraged employers to recognise the value of trained taxonomists, describing them as professionals whose attention to detail and ability to organise complex information could improve quality control, problem-solving and operational efficiency.
The professor further appealed to parents and prospective undergraduates to reconsider the misconception that Botany was limited to herbal practice or classroom teaching.
He said the discipline offered opportunities in pharmaceutical industries, agricultural research, environmental agencies, biotechnology firms, conservation organisations and other sectors requiring expertise in plant resources.
On biodiversity conservation, Ogunkunle reminded the public that protecting plant and animal life was a collective responsibility, warning that habitat destruction, pollution, overexploitation, invasive species and climate change continued to threaten the natural environment.
He urged individuals and communities to protect native plants, reduce waste, support sustainable practices, participate in tree-planting initiatives and promote environmental awareness.
The don also called on journalists and social media users to exercise greater care in reporting matters relating to traditional medicine, particularly the indiscriminate use of the term “herbalist” in reports involving alleged criminal or ritual activities.
He explained that herbalism was a profession concerned with the medicinal and therapeutic use of plants and should not automatically be equated with spiritual practices, ritualism or criminality.
Ogunkunle maintained that better public understanding of plant science and traditional medicine would promote responsible use of plant resources and encourage informed discussions about their contribution to human wellbeing.
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