School and Inspiration

I had a very inspiring lecture in school December last year. No..actually two consecutive inspiring lectures by the same lecturer. 

The lectures were for a Course we dread so much in Pharmacy school- Pharmacognosy. A complex term for the study of crude drugs of natural origin. The lectures were about research into medicinal plants and harnessing our plant resources in Nigeria to produce useful drugs and hence improve the economy.

I learnt a lot from those two lectures and left the class those two times feeling empowered, feeling like I could make a change. Our lecturer talked about useful plants which we had in Nigeria that are actually precursors of very important drugs. Some of these drugs we still import from countries like the USA beecause we’ve failed to tap into our own resources.

Nigeria has a great diversity of plants whose healing properties have been verified scientifically, though some of their effects are unexplainable. However we still don’t acknowledge our own plant drugs and instead prefer  western medicine.

Now, I’m not against orthodox medicine. Afterall we are taught extensively on it in school and also carry out practicals on the synthesis of drugs. But really, a lot of our solution lies in nature.

Now it’s seem like I’m boring you..buh what I was just trying to bring out is how importantly the lectures I had impacted on me so much that lately have been thinking of going into postgraduate research in medicinal plants once I’m through with my undergrad.  But I’m not still sure yet sha, still thinking.To think I hated Pharmacognosy so much before. Plants are boring.......buh i need to be part of the change we need especially in these perilous times!!!!  And funny I’m not the only one that ‘felt’ the lecture. Someone actually told me his view was beginning to change and he was considering research too. Some of my other coursemates even said the lectures were interesting. No one has ever said that about that course. ‘Tis good to know a lot of them were inspired too!!

Anyways, I really feel like God is trying to tell me something o ‘cos just 2 weeks ago I found out who my final year project supervisor is. It’s a lecturer in Pharmacognosy!!!. I was hoping for anything else but Pharmacognosy, was thinking maybe Pharmaceutical Chemistry..Oh, well...so i’m going to be doing research in plants for the remaining part of the session and trust me it’s going to be very tedious. I’m ready to face the challenge God-willing.

Well that’s it for now. 

Oh, by the way, I’ve become more enlightened on the principles of the fuel subsidy and the reason for its removal. But I’m still not sure if I’m for or against it.

Till when next I fink of something to post.

Bye.