Since ancient times, traditional healthcare practices have been integral to primary healthcare in many developing countries, particularly in Africa, where they complement formal medical services (World Health Organization [16], [32], [52]. In Nigeria traditional healthcare plays a vital role in meeting healthcare needs, especially in rural communities with limited access to modern healthcare facilities [45]. These systems encompass diverse healing practices, including herbal medicine, spiritual healing, and bone setting, which are preserved and transmitted through oral traditions, apprenticeships, and community-based mentorship [2]. The transmission of traditional healthcare knowledge is deeply embedded in cultural heritage and remains essential for sustaining traditional healthcare practices across generations.

The dynamics of traditional healthcare knowledge transmission in rural Nigeria are shaped by socio-cultural, economic, and environmental factors [15], [27]. Unlike formal education systems, knowledge transfer occurs informally through oral instruction, observation, and hands-on practice under the guidance of experienced healthcare practitioners [22], [41]. However, the sustainability of these knowledge systems faces multiple challenges, including rapid urbanization, globalization, declining interest among younger generations, and the increasing dominance of biomedical approaches [37]. Additionally, secrecy and the absence of formal documentation contribute to the gradual erosion of traditional healthcare knowledge (Edewor, 2017; [44]).

At the same time, apprenticeship (which includes experiential, oral, and observational transmission of knowledge) ensures continuity in traditional healthcare practices, reinforcing the cultural and spiritual dimensions of healthcare while addressing common ailments using locally available medicinal plants and holistic treatments [12]. Interestingly, in addition to general and spiritual healthcare, traditional psychiatry remains a crucial but often overlooked dimension of indigenous healthcare systems across Africa. Traditional psychiatrists, recognized in many communities for their ability to diagnose and treat mental and behavioural disorders, utilize spiritual, herbal, and symbolic healing methods rooted in ancestral knowledge [3]. These practices are particularly important in rural contexts where biomedical mental health services are often inaccessible. Gutema and Mengstie [17] observe that among the Berta community in Ethiopia, traditional healers play an indispensable role in managing mental illness, often attributing causes to supernatural influences and familial disharmony. In Nigeria, traditional psychiatrists similarly address ailments such as madness, psychosis, or spiritual afflictions, typically through divination, ritual cleansing, and herbal remedies [36], [43]. Including psychiatry as a specific domain within traditional healthcare practice offers a fuller picture of the scope and cultural specificity of Indigenous medical systems.

Be that as it may, the transmission process is not unchanging. Several aspects, such as urbanization, socio-economic changes, and the encroachment of modern healthcare systems, constantly come into play to influence it, which in turn present both challenges and opportunities for the evolution and preservation of traditional practices [55], [6]. That aside, Oluwole et al. [40] and Hadlos et al. [19] further emphasised that factors such as gender roles, community perceptions, and religious beliefs of traditional healthcare shape the dynamics of knowledge transfer that can primarily take place intergenerationally (elder to youth or parent to child) and as well occasionally transpire intragenerationally (peer to peer through tutelage).

Besides, the integration of traditional and modern healthcare systems remains a subject of debate, with some advocating for a complementary approach that leverages the strengths of both [1], [25], [49]. Understanding the dynamics of traditional healthcare knowledge transmission in rural Nigeria is crucial for multiple reasons. First, it sheds light on the resilience and adaptability of traditional knowledge systems amid globalization and modernization (Etkin, 2018; [23]). Second, it highlights the potential for integrating traditional healthcare practices into national health policies, particularly in resource-limited settings where modern healthcare services are often inaccessible [51], [56]. Lastly, it underscores the need for culturally sensitive healthcare delivery approaches that respect and incorporate local knowledge systems (Ajayi, 2021; [55]). This study employs a qualitative ethnographic approach to explore the transmission and practice of traditional healthcare knowledge in Egbejila. Through in-depth interviews and participant observations, the research aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the mechanisms through which traditional healthcare knowledge is sustained and the effectiveness of traditional healthcare in addressing various health challenges.

This study intends to explore the dynamics of traditional healthcare knowledge transmission and its practice among the Egbejila community. The selected rural area for this study is situated in Kwara State, Nigeria. Specifically, the research centred on examining and understanding the sources from which traditional healthcare practitioners acquire their knowledge, the ways in which this knowledge is passed on across generations, and the environmental, spiritual, and cultural dimensions that shape these practices. An insight into the lived experiences of both local inhabitants and traditional healthcare practitioners will lay bare the shading in belief systems, diagnostic methods, and healthcare therapies that continue to play a significant role in community health. In due time, the study hopes to contribute to a deeper appreciation of traditional healthcare systems and support efforts toward their recognition, documentation, and potential integration within broader healthcare frameworks. Just like several countries have made significant strides in integrating traditional healthcare systems into formal biomedical structures. South Africa, for instance, through the Traditional Health Practitioners Act of 2007, formally recognizes traditional healers as part of its national health system [1], [51], [53]. In Ghana, the Traditional Medicine Practice Council works to license practitioners and integrate them into public health [28]. India’s AYUSH ministry institutionalizes Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy systems of medicine, exemplifying state-supported pluralism in healthcare delivery [31]. These models provide a potential roadmap for Nigeria’s evolving healthcare policy and underline the feasibility and benefits of pluralistic health systems.