ABUJA — Nigerian health professionals are warning that social media-driven self-medication with unverified herbal remedies—dubbed the “algorithmic apothecary”—is worsening patient outcomes and straining the healthcare system. Doctors and pharmacists across the country say a surge in online self-medication, particularly involving unverified herbal products, is delaying treatment and increasing exposure to unsafe substances.

Oke Bola, a woman in her early 40s who has never had children, experienced breathing difficulties after taking an online fertility supplement called Jinja Herbal Mixture. She 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. When I checked online, I realised it could be from the herbal medication,” Bola said. Though her symptoms eased after stopping the product, she later resumed use at the recommended dosage without consulting a doctor.

Dr. Egemba Chinonso Fidelis, a public health advocate known online as Aproko Doctor, said the herbal cure trend reflects “confident health lies” presented with certainty but lacking evidence. “Real medicine does not promise to cure everything, and it does not rely on countdowns. Scammers do.” He added, “These problems are not new. What is new is the marketing channel.” Fidelis also noted that the platforms themselves amplify this effect. “Their algorithms reward engaging content and push it to wider audiences.”

Dr. Yemi Raji, a consultant nephrologist at the University College Hospital in Ibadan, linked herbal medicine to worsening kidney disease cases in Nigeria. “When you take herbal medication, you are taking both the good and the bad. Patients often arrive late, when treatment is more difficult and expensive.” He advised, “Stay away from medications that have not been verified by NAFDAC. If you are ill, go to the hospital.”

A 2025 Nigeria-based study titled “The Toxicological Evaluation of Jinja: A Local Herbal Mixture (LHM)” found the product appeared safe for short-term use within tested dosage ranges but recorded biochemical changes at higher doses, including altered creatinine and sodium levels, indicating possible kidney and liver stress. The study called for further research into long-term effects and interactions with conventional medicines. A 2022 study found that 76.65% of participants had used herbal medicine, with 82.44% not informing their doctors. Nigeria’s herbal market continues to grow, but weak online enforcement has allowed unverified products to spread widely, even as the healthcare system—serving about 230 million people—remains strained by high costs, equipment shortages, and health worker migration.