Health
AMR: Nigeria Warns Of Rising Drug Resistance, Seeks Global Action At Abuja Summit
By Iyojo Ameh
The Federal Government says the December conference will focus on stronger surveillance, responsible medicine use and coordinated action across human health, agriculture and the environment.
The Federal Government has called for urgent global action against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), warning that drug-resistant infections could claim millions of lives in the coming decades if countries fail to turn existing commitments into concrete interventions.
Nigeria is expected to host the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance in Abuja from December 6 to 8, 2026, the first time the international gathering will take place on African soil.
The conference, with the theme, “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitments to Local Action,” will bring together governments and other stakeholders to strengthen cooperation, accelerate national responses and establish practical measures to contain the growing threat.
The Nigerian government is hosting the event in partnership with the Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR, comprising the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, United Nations Environment Programme, World Health Organization and World Organisation for Animal Health.
Speaking at a media briefing, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the conference would provide an opportunity to move beyond political declarations and focus on implementation.
He said Nigeria was working towards strengthening disease surveillance, improving laboratory capacity, promoting responsible antimicrobial use and increasing domestic production of essential medicines.
According to him, antimicrobial resistance requires a coordinated response because its effects extend beyond healthcare facilities to agriculture, livestock production, food security and the environment.
Nigeria Records Thousands Of AMR-Related Deaths
The scale of the challenge is reflected in estimates from the 2022 Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance study published in The Lancet.
Figures cited by Pate indicate that bacterial antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for an estimated 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019, including approximately 64,500 deaths in Nigeria.
He further warned that more than 39 million deaths could be directly attributable to antimicrobial resistance worldwide between 2025 and 2050.
Antimicrobial resistance develops when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites evolve to withstand medicines that previously controlled or eliminated them.
This makes infections increasingly difficult to treat and raises the risk of severe illness, complications and death.
The consequences can also undermine the safety of routine surgical procedures, childbirth and the treatment of common infections, including pneumonia.
Patients may require longer hospital stays and more expensive treatments when standard medicines become ineffective, placing additional pressure on families and healthcare systems.
Pate said the danger was sometimes overlooked because drug resistance could develop gradually and become apparent only when patients failed to respond to treatment.
He explained that people treated for infections such as pneumonia and typhoid fever could suffer serious complications when the medicines prescribed were ineffective against the organisms responsible.
The minister, however, acknowledged that weaknesses in Nigeria’s surveillance systems remained a challenge, potentially affecting the completeness and reliability of national AMR data.
Government Targets Misuse Of Antibiotics In Agriculture
Nigeria’s response will adopt the One Health approach, which recognises the connections between human health, animal health, agriculture and environmental protection.
The strategy is based on the understanding that resistant organisms can emerge in different settings and spread through people, animals, food chains and environmental pathways.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said antimicrobial resistance threatened agricultural productivity, food safety and food security, in addition to its implications for human health.
He said the agricultural sector would promote responsible antimicrobial use, strengthen food safety systems, expand agricultural extension services and educate farmers on good agricultural practices and biosecurity.
Abdullahi stressed the importance of helping farmers adopt appropriate methods and sustainable alternatives that protect livestock, crops, consumers and the environment.
The initiative is also expected to improve awareness of the consequences of inappropriate antimicrobial use in animal production.
The government believes that interventions must extend to farms and rural communities to achieve meaningful results.
Environment, Hospitals Included In AMR Response
Environmental management is another component of Nigeria’s strategy, as resistant organisms and antimicrobial residues can spread through water, soil and waste systems.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said antimicrobial resistance crossed traditional sectoral boundaries, linking human health, animal production, agriculture, food systems and environmental protection.
He called for coordinated action among the relevant ministries and stakeholders to address the threat.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has pursued an antimicrobial stewardship programme over the past two and a half years to promote appropriate prescribing and medicine use in federal hospitals and other participating facilities.
Antimicrobial stewardship seeks to ensure that patients receive the appropriate medicine at the correct dose and for the necessary duration, while reducing unnecessary or ineffective treatment.
Pate also cited the establishment of a clinical governance task force earlier in 2026 to develop guidance on hospital practices that expose patients to healthcare-associated infections and contribute to the spread of resistant organisms.
Improved hygiene, timely diagnosis and stronger infection prevention and control measures are expected to reduce infections and the need for antimicrobial treatment.
Regulatory agencies are also expected to play a role in addressing weaknesses in medicine quality and distribution.
Abuja Compact To Set Priorities For Action
Pate referenced previous international commitments, including the United Nations General Assembly’s political declarations on AMR in 2014 and 2024, the Muscat Ministerial Manifesto and the Jeddah commitments of 2024.
He said the international community must now focus on implementing those commitments rather than making additional declarations without measurable progress.
The Abuja conference is expected to adopt the Abuja Compact on Antimicrobial Resistance, which is being developed through consultations with member states and other stakeholders.
The proposed framework will seek to strengthen coordination, implementation and accountability in the global response.
Lawal identified four priority areas for Nigeria’s intervention.
These include establishing a whole-of-government approach through a joint One Health coordination mechanism that will continue beyond the conference; expanding practical interventions across human health, agriculture and environmental management; ensuring inclusive participation by governments, researchers, civil society, businesses, the media and communities; and strengthening accountability through public reporting and a mechanism for tracking implementation of the Abuja Compact.
The priorities are intended to ensure that national and international commitments translate into practical interventions across relevant sectors.
Africa To Take Centre Stage In Global Fight
Nigeria’s hosting of the ministerial conference provides an opportunity to bring African priorities into sharper focus in the global campaign against antimicrobial resistance.
The collaboration between the government and international organisations reflects growing recognition that the problem cannot be contained through interventions in hospitals alone.
However, the impact of the conference will depend on the extent to which participating countries commit resources, strengthen surveillance and sustain effective policies after the event.
The ultimate measure of success will be a reduction in deaths from drug-resistant infections, improved protection of food systems and the environment, and stronger health systems capable of detecting and responding to emerging resistance.
For Nigeria, the December meeting will provide an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to tackling antimicrobial resistance while encouraging other countries to move from global pledges to measurable action.