Gwari Traditional Medicine: Medicinal Plants & Uses in Nigeria

For centuries, the native Gwari people have used plant, tree and herb-based remedies to treat medical conditions. Located in the heart of Nigeria, the Gwari use their herbal remedies to treat pain, rashes, diabetes and typhoid fever, among others ailments.

Diabetes

• Several herbs, trees and plants are used within the Gwari community to treat diabetes and associated symptoms. These include: Shuwaka, Bagaruwa, Tafarnuawa, Doruwa, Gwuaiba, Sabara, Ugun and Dinya.

Typhoid Fever

• Mixtures of herbs and plants to treat typhoid fever are more common than individual plants. These mixtures are usually boiled together and used as a drink, including combinations of lemo tsami, gwanda and mangwaro, mixtures of marke, mangwaro and gwanda, combinations of sabara, timfafiya and chitta and mixes of kimba, zaitun, kajiji and rubatari.

Pain Relief

• Known as Sawun Keke or Mai Jankai, this plant is found in wetlands regions and used as an analgesic for pain relief and rashes.