Documentation and Archiving Practices for Yoruba Traditional Medicine Knowledge in South West Nigeria

Yoruba traditional medicine constitutes a rich knowledge system transmitted primarily through oral instruction and apprenticeship, yet systematic documentation and archiving of this knowledge for community and scientific benefit remains limited. This study examines documentation and archiving practices for Yoruba traditional medicine knowledge in South West Nigeria, drawing on data from traditional medicine practitioners and cultural heritage institutions in Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti States. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected from 30 traditional medicine practitioners and five heritage institutions through in-depth interviews and observation of existing documentation practices. The study applies ethnobotanical documentation methodology, indigenous knowledge management, and archival science principles to evaluate current practice and identify professional improvement opportunities. Reviewed literature on African traditional knowledge documentation has addressed intellectual property and biopiracy concerns at a theoretical level, with the practical documentation management challenges faced by Nigerian archival institutions receiving limited empirical attention. This study addresses that professional practice gap. The research examines what documentation methods practitioners currently use, whether existing archives apply appropriate metadata for traditional medicine records, how community consent and intellectual property rights are managed, and what barriers prevent more systematic archival practice. Findings are expected to reveal reliance on informal personal notes and oral transmission, with institutional archives lacking specialised protocols for traditional medicine knowledge. Recommendations will address a professional documentation and archiving manual for Yoruba traditional medicine knowledge, incorporating community rights protections. Keywords: documentation, archiving, Yoruba traditional medicine, indigenous knowledge, South West Nigeria.