Africa’s next major opportunity in wellness innovation could emerge from the botanical resources that have been part of its communities for generations, according to Mohammed Adamu Daggo, Chief Executive Officer of Bioharb. Daggo said that while technology and digital innovation continue to attract significant attention across the continent, greater investment in botanical research could open another important area of development for African businesses.
Speaking on the vision behind Bioharb’s Back to the Roots campaign, he explained that Africa’s traditional knowledge of plants offers a valuable starting point for scientific exploration.
“For generations, African communities have understood and used the plants around them.
Today, we have scientific tools that can help us investigate that knowledge more carefully. The opportunity is in bringing both together,” Daggo said.
Advances in botanical identification, laboratory analysis, processing technology and quality control have created opportunities to study plant ingredients more systematically. However, he cautioned against confusing technological advancement with scientific proof, noting that research must still establish whether specific ingredients are safe and effective for their intended uses.
The industry, Daggo argued, needs to move beyond simply packaging traditional remedies and develop stronger systems for research, product development and consumer protection. This would require partnerships between businesses, research institutions, manufacturers and regulators. “Africa should not be satisfied with being known only for the plants it produces. We should also be building the knowledge, research capacity and industries needed to create value from those resources responsibly,” he stated.
He further identified the documentation and protection of traditional knowledge as an important consideration, particularly as commercial interest in botanical ingredients grows. Innovation should not come at the expense of the communities that have preserved this knowledge over generations.
These ideas are central to Bioharb’s Back to the Roots movement, which seeks to encourage greater appreciation of Africa’s botanical heritage while promoting informed conversations about its place in modern wellness.
The campaign reflects the company’s belief that traditional knowledge and scientific innovation can complement each other when approached responsibly.
With Bioharb developing a presence in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya, Daggo sees an opportunity for African wellness businesses to build credibility beyond their immediate markets. International relevance, he stressed, must be earned through responsible product development, transparency and consistent standards rather than cultural identity alone.
“Consumers want to know what they are buying, how it is made and whether the claims surrounding it can be trusted. That expectation should shape how African botanical wellness businesses grow,” Daggo said.
He concluded that Africa’s botanical resources deserve the same seriousness applied to other emerging industries, with investment in research and responsible innovation determining how much of their potential can be realised.