The Federal Government has described antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a “hidden pandemic”, calling for coordinated action across the health, agriculture, livestock and environmental sectors to protect food systems and strengthen national resilience.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, said this on Monday in Abuja at a media conference announcing the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR, scheduled for Dec. 6 to 8, 2026.
Pate said the conference, the first to be hosted on African soil, would focus on translating global commitments into practical action under the theme, “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitment through Local Action”.
He said AMR could cause prolonged illness, complications and deaths when infections failed to respond to available medicines, particularly where appropriate treatment and diagnostic services were unavailable or inadequate.
“Folks go to hospitals, get treated for pneumonias, typhoid or whatever infectious disease.
“In some places, without proper knowledge of the sensitivity to the antimicrobial being used, individuals may suffer much longer than they should, and some may have complications or lose their lives,” he said.
He said inappropriate or excessive antimicrobial use could undermine disease control, reduce agricultural productivity, compromise food safety, disrupt trade and threaten farmers’ livelihoods, making coordinated prevention and responsible medicine use essential nationwide.
“Addressing AMR is therefore essential to safeguarding our food system and strengthening national resilience,” he said.
Pate said Nigeria was pursuing a multisectoral response involving responsible antimicrobial use, infection prevention and control, stronger laboratory services and improved medicine regulation to address resistance across human, animal and environmental health sectors.
He said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had operated an antimicrobial stewardship programme for about two and a half years to promote appropriate antibiotic use in federal hospitals.
He added that the government was strengthening medicine regulation through the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other regulatory bodies to curb counterfeit and substandard medicines, as well as indiscriminate antibiotic sales.
Pate said Nigeria was also working to expand access to quality antimicrobials while preventing resistance, particularly in communities where many people still lacked access to essential medicines and appropriate treatment.
He acknowledged gaps in AMR surveillance but said the government was improving laboratory capacity, training health workers and promoting infection prevention measures to strengthen detection, response and control nationwide.
On the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pate said the Federal Government had introduced public health measures to safeguard Nigeria and strengthen preparedness ahead of the conference.
He said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and Port Health Services were working with the World Health Organization and other partners to monitor developments and strengthen border surveillance.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, said bacterial AMR was directly responsible for an estimated 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019, while about 64,500 deaths in Nigeria were attributable to it.
Citing the 2022 Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance study, Salako said that, without effective action, more than 39 million deaths could be directly attributable to AMR worldwide between 2025 and 2050.
He said the Abuja conference would review progress, accelerate interventions and strengthen global AMR governance, with participants expected to adopt the Abuja Compact on Antimicrobial Resistance as a framework for coordinated action.
Salako urged Nigerians to avoid indiscriminate antibiotic use and follow medical prescriptions, warning against taking antibiotics for illnesses without professional assessment or confirmation that the medicines were necessary.
“It is not every cough that needs antibiotics. It is not every catarrh that needs antibiotics. Please consult a doctor,” he said.
He identified vaccination, handwashing, infection prevention and control, improved laboratory services and responsible prescribing as key measures to reduce infections and limit the need for antimicrobials.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said AMR could spread through water, soil and ecosystems, making environmental hygiene crucial to prevention and underscoring the importance of improved sanitation.
“Let’s start from prevention first. Let’s tackle the number of diseases that force you to go and take these antibiotics,” he said, citing typhoid and cholera as examples of diseases that could be prevented through improved sanitation and hygiene.
Lawal said the four ministries would work through a joint One Health coordination mechanism and publicly report progress on implementing the Abuja Compact to strengthen accountability and sustain action.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, said antibiotic use was widespread in poultry and livestock production, requiring stronger oversight, farmer education and responsible practices to reduce antimicrobial resistance.
Represented by the Director of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, Dr Abdulkareem Durosinlorun, Maiha said the ministry was educating farmers on responsible antibiotic use and promoting vaccination, hygiene and biosecurity to reduce dependence on the drugs.
“So, the essence is to educate farmers on responsible use of antibiotics. If they have to use antibiotics, they have to use them based on a prescription.
“They must follow the routine and they must also make sure that the withdrawal period is observed before the birds or animals are released into the market for use,” he said.
Similarly, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the ministry would promote responsible antimicrobial and agrochemical use to protect agricultural productivity and food safety.
Represented by the Director of Plant Health and Pest Control Services, Mrs Iwendi Odunola, he said the ministry would strengthen food safety systems, expand agricultural extension services and educate farmers on good agricultural practices, biosecurity and integrated pest management.
Abdullahi said Nigeria had an opportunity to demonstrate African leadership by translating global commitments into practical action across farms, communities and institutions, strengthening collaboration and addressing AMR through coordinated implementation nationwide.
