Abstract

Cancer is a critical global health issue and a significant contributor to mortalityrates worldwide, with the number of mortality rates and the development of new and effective anticancer agents rising daily. Nigerian medicinal plants (NMPs) have been widely investigated in the management of diseases, including cancer. NMPs engage in pharmacological actions of inherent bioactive compounds and systematic investigations are done to confirm their therapeutic resolutions. Multidrug-resistant malignancy cases are increasing, but natural plant-derived products are still of high significance, despite improvements in drug design. Nigeria is a country blessed with an array of plants used in folklore medicine for cancer and other disease therapies. This review focused on 13 NMPs that have been investigated for their anticancer potentials, both in vitroand in vivo.These plants though phytochemical-rich exhibited cytotoxic, antiproliferative, and apoptotic properties, indicative of their potential as novel anticancer drugs, while stressing the need for safety assessment.