Climate Change and Medicinal Plant Decline in Nigeria: Implications for Local Herbal Entrepreneurship and Sales, 2000–2025

Ecological systems and resource-dependent livelihoods are being impacted by climate change, especially in developing countries where communities rely heavily on natural resources for their livelihood. Herbal medicines are an integral part of traditional healthcare in Nigeria and the source of livelihood for local herbal entrepreneurs and herbal medicine sellers. However, availability and accessibility of medicinal plant resources may decrease due to climatic change, such as increased temperatures, unpredictable precipitation, extended droughts and flooding. The study explores the link between climate change and the decline of medicinal plants in Nigeria and its impact on local entrepreneurs and sales of medicinal plants by the year 2025. The study is qualitative in nature and uses secondary data obtained from literature from scholarly publications, government publications, environmental assessment and other related studies on medicinal plants, climate change and herbal medicine markets in Nigeria. Changes in the availability of medicinal plants, the patterns of sourcing, operational costs, market prices, sales and livelihood conditions of local herbal entrepreneurs are analysed. The study suggests that climate change environmental changes with deforestation and land-use change coupled with unsustainable harvesting practices have created pressure on medicinal plant resources and some emerging challenges for the herbal traders. Reduced plant availability can lead to higher procurement prices, lower product variety, disruptions in supply chains and impact sales and revenue. The study thus suggests an increased capacity and capability building of climate change adaptation, medicinal plant conservation, sustainable harvesting and support to the value chain of herbal entrepreneurship and related livelihoods in Nigeria.