The Federal Government has adopted a multi-sectoral approach to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Nigeria, following estimates that the problem was associated with approximately 64,500 deaths in the country in 2019.
The strategy brings together the health, agriculture, livestock and environment sectors to address the growing threat of infections that no longer respond effectively to medicines.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the approach at a press conference in Abuja on Monday ahead of the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance.
Pate described AMR as a “hidden pandemic”, warning that it makes infections increasingly difficult to treat and can lead to prolonged illness, complications and death when medicines fail to work.
He cited findings from the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance study, which estimated that bacterial antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019.
According to the minister, the government’s One Health approach recognises the links between human, animal and environmental health, noting that efforts to control drug resistance must extend beyond hospitals.
He said antibiotic use in livestock production was higher than in the human health sector, making responsible use of antimicrobials across both sectors essential to limiting the development and spread of resistance.
Pate added that the government was strengthening antimicrobial stewardship in federal hospitals, infection prevention and control measures, laboratory capacity and regulatory systems to ensure medicines are used appropriately.
He said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had also operated an antimicrobial stewardship programme across federal hospitals and other healthcare facilities over the past two and a half years.
The minister highlighted the importance of regulatory agencies in ensuring the availability of genuine medicines and tackling the indiscriminate sale of antimicrobial drugs.
However, he acknowledged gaps in Nigeria’s AMR surveillance systems, stressing the need for stronger monitoring to establish the scale of the problem and guide effective interventions.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, warned that antimicrobial resistance also threatened agricultural productivity and food security.
He explained that the inappropriate use of antimicrobials could weaken disease control, compromise food safety, disrupt trade and put farmers’ livelihoods at risk.
Abdullahi said the government planned to promote responsible antimicrobial use, strengthen food safety systems, expand agricultural extension services and educate farmers on good agricultural practices and biosecurity.
The Minister of Environment also warned that resistance could spread through interconnected systems involving people, animals, farms, food, water, soil and waste.
He said the ministries responsible for health, agriculture and food security, livestock development, and the environment had committed to establishing a joint coordination mechanism, implementing sector-specific measures and publicly reporting progress.
Nigeria is scheduled to host the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR in Abuja from December 6 to 8, 2026, under the theme, “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitments to Local Action.”
The conference, expected to be the first of its kind on African soil, will bring together governments and other stakeholders to strengthen international cooperation and accelerate action against antimicrobial resistance.
One of the anticipated outcomes is the Abuja Compact on Antimicrobial Resistance, which is being developed through consultations with member states and other stakeholders to translate global commitments into measurable action.
