Discussion and Conclusions

Abstract

Biomaterials derived from natural resources have demonstrated significant promise for medical use in the modern era and have steadily been gaining ground in developing countries such as Nigeria. Development of “successful technologies” in the form of natural therapeutics and that utilize bio-based materials could help to potentially lower the barrier to adequate healthcare access and delivery in a multitude of ways. Locally designed and manufactured medical devices and supplies can be fabricated with biomaterials derived from natural, native resources and can be customized to further cater the healthcare needs of the people of Nigeria. Although the initial capital expenditure and investment can be quite high in order to build the infrastructure to support the generation and distribution of biomaterials, the decreased dependence on imported and donated medical supplies, devices, and products could lead to more cost-efficient and sustainable solutions in the future. The true test lies in making the key connections between agriculture, engineering, human capital development, and medicine which is an integral step in improving economic and healthcare outcomes in the future of Nigeria.