The Federal Government has warned that Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) could claim 10 million lives globally each year, with four million of the deaths likely occurring in Africa.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, made the disclosure at the commencement of the 2025 World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) on Tuesday in Abuja, scheduled for Nov. 18–24.
The 2025 campaign theme is “Act Now: Protect our Present, Secure our Future.”
Represented by Dr Chinyere Akujobi, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Maiha said WAAW was aimed at raising awareness about the public health threats posed by AMR and promoting practices that limited the spread of resistant infections.
He explained that AMR occurred when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer responded to previously effective antibiotics.
“While it can occur naturally, inappropriate antibiotic use, such as over-prescription, self-medication, poor adherence to treatment, and lapses in infection prevention, exacerbates the problem.”
Other contributors, he noted, included poor biosecurity on farms, unregulated use of antibiotics and pesticides in crops, and the consumption of animal products containing antimicrobial residues.
AMR, he said, led to treatment failures, prolonged illness, loss of livelihoods, higher production costs, and threatened national economic development.
Maiha urged stakeholders in human, veterinary, and environmental health to join the campaign against misuse of antimicrobials.
He stressed the importance of vaccination, biosecurity, and hygiene in reducing infections and minimising reliance on antibiotics.
“Clinicians, veterinarians, and farmers must use antimicrobials responsibly.
“They should only be prescribed when necessary, with full adherence to treatment and withdrawal periods, to avoid a return to a pre-antibiotic era,” he warned.
