Nigeria is preparing to take centre-stage in the global fight against drug resistance or antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with the Federal Government of Nigeria pledging a coordinated, cross-sectoral response to AMR. AMR is a growing public health threat that could make routine infections harder to treat, increase the risks associated with surgery and childbirth, and place additional pressure on already stretched healthcare systems.
The country will host the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance in Abuja from 6th to 8th December 2026, the first time the international gathering will be held on African soil. Under the theme, “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitments to Local Action”, the conference is expected to bring governments and stakeholders together to accelerate interventions, strengthen international cooperation and translate existing political commitments into measurable results. This is hosted by Nigerian government along with the Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has described the conference as an opportunity to move beyond declarations towards practical action, with the government seeking stronger surveillance, responsible antimicrobial use, improved laboratory capacity and greater domestic production of essential medicines.
Pate said AMR was among the gravest threats facing global health, requiring a coordinated response across government and society. The government’s ambition is to use the Abuja gathering not only to advance Nigeria’s domestic response but also to demonstrate how African countries can work together to tackle a threat that crosses national borders and affects human health, animal production, food systems and the environment. He was speaking at a media briefing, which we learned about through the head of the Nigeria AMR Media Alliance ( NAMA) and noted health and science journalist and editor, Ojoma Akor.
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has described the conference as an opportunity to move beyond declarations towards practical action, with the government seeking stronger surveillance, responsible antimicrobial use, improved laboratory capacity and greater domestic production of essential medicines.
Millions of deaths underline the urgency
The scale of the threat is reflected in estimates cited by Pate from the 2022 Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) study published in The Lancet. According to the figures he presented, bacterial antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for an estimated 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019, while approximately 64,500 deaths in Nigeria that year were attributable to AMR.
Without effective action, more than 39 million deaths could be directly attributable to antimicrobial resistance globally between 2025 and 2050, he warned.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites develop the ability to resist medicines designed to treat the infections they cause. As these organisms become less susceptible to treatment, medicines that once worked reliably may become ineffective, making infections more difficult to manage and increasing the likelihood of complications and death.
The consequences extend well beyond hospitals. Resistant infections can undermine the safety of routine medical procedures, complicate the treatment of pneumonia and other common illnesses, and increase the duration and cost of care for patients and their families.
Pate said the danger was often less visible than other public health emergencies because drug resistance could develop and spread without attracting immediate attention. "Folks go to hospitals, get treated for pneumonia, typhoid, or whatever infectious disease," he said. In some cases, he added, patients might suffer complications or die because the antimicrobial being administered was not effective against the infection.
However, Pate acknowledged that Nigeria continued to face gaps in surveillance, meaning its AMR data might not be as comprehensive or accurate as information available in countries with more established monitoring systems.
Why Nigeria is embracing the #OneHealth approach
Central to the government's strategy is the recognition that AMR cannot be addressed through the human healthcare system alone.
The One Health approach brings together human health, animal health, agriculture and environmental protection, reflecting the interconnected ways in which resistant organisms can emerge and spread.
Livestock sector could use more antibiotics than the human health sector. Inappropriate or excessive use in animals can increase the pressure that favours drug resistant organisms, with consequences that may extend to people through direct contact, food chains and the wider environment.
Nigeria's agriculture and food security ministry has similarly warned that the misuse of antimicrobials and agrochemicals can undermine disease control, compromise food safety, disrupt trade and threaten livelihoods.
Nigerian Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said drug resistance posed a significant threat not only to human health but also to agricultural productivity and food security.
Although antimicrobials have legitimate applications in human and animal medicine, their inappropriate or excessive use can accelerate drug resistance and weaken the ability to control infections.
Abdullahi said the agricultural response would prioritise responsible antimicrobial use, stronger food safety systems, expanded agricultural extension services and farmer education on good agricultural practices and biosecurity.
Farmers, he said, needed access to appropriate guidance and sustainable alternatives to help protect crops, livestock, consumers and the environment.
The aim is to ensure that action against AMR reaches farms and communities, rather than remaining confined to government policy documents and hospital protocols.
Nigerian Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said drug resistance posed a significant threat not only to human health but also to agricultural productivity and food security.
Although antimicrobials have legitimate applications in human and animal medicine, their inappropriate or excessive use can accelerate drug resistance and weaken the ability to control infections.
Abdullahi said the agricultural response would prioritise responsible antimicrobial use, stronger food safety systems, expanded agricultural extension services and farmer education on good agricultural practices and biosecurity.
Farmers, he said, needed access to appropriate guidance and sustainable alternatives to help protect crops, livestock, consumers and the environment.
The aim is to ensure that action against AMR reaches farms and communities, rather than remaining confined to government policy documents and hospital protocols.
The environmental dimension is equally significant. Resistant organisms and antimicrobial residues can move through water, soil and waste systems, creating pathways for resistance to persist and spread.
Nigeria's Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas Lawal said drug resistance did not respect sectoral boundaries, moving between people, animals, farms, food and the environment.
Over the past two and a half years, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has pursued an antimicrobial stewardship programme intended to guide prescribing and promote appropriate medicine use in federal hospitals and other participating facilities.
Antimicrobial stewardship involves ensuring that patients receive the right medicine, at the right dose and for the appropriate duration, while avoiding 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 can expose patients to healthcare-associated infections and contribute to the spread of resistant organisms.
Infection prevention and control measures are a critical part of this effort. Better hygiene, appropriate clinical procedures, timely diagnosis and effective infection control can reduce the need for antimicrobial treatment in the first place. The government is also relying on regulatory agencies to address weaknesses in medicine quality and distribution.
Pate referred to the United Nations General Assembly's 2014 and 2024 political declarations on AMR, the Muscat Ministerial Manifesto and the Jeddah commitments of 2024 as important milestones in international efforts to confront the problem. He said the priority now was to deliver on those promises.
The upcoming 5th Global High Level Ministerial Conference on AMR is expected to adopt the Abuja Compact on Antimicrobial Resistance, which is being shaped through consultations with member states and other stakeholders. The proposed compact is intended to provide an action-oriented framework for translating global commitments into practical interventions, with greater emphasis on implementation, coordination and accountability.
Lawal outlined four priorities that the four ministries were committing to pursue.
The first is to act with whole-of-government approach through a joint One Health coordination mechanism designed to outlast the upcoming conference.
Nigeria's Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas Lawal said drug resistance did not respect sectoral boundaries, moving between people, animals, farms, food and the environment.
Over the past two and a half years, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has pursued an antimicrobial stewardship programme intended to guide prescribing and promote appropriate medicine use in federal hospitals and other participating facilities.
Antimicrobial stewardship involves ensuring that patients receive the right medicine, at the right dose and for the appropriate duration, while avoiding 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 can expose patients to healthcare-associated infections and contribute to the spread of resistant organisms.
Infection prevention and control measures are a critical part of this effort. Better hygiene, appropriate clinical procedures, timely diagnosis and effective infection control can reduce the need for antimicrobial treatment in the first place. The government is also relying on regulatory agencies to address weaknesses in medicine quality and distribution.
Pate referred to the United Nations General Assembly's 2014 and 2024 political declarations on AMR, the Muscat Ministerial Manifesto and the Jeddah commitments of 2024 as important milestones in international efforts to confront the problem. He said the priority now was to deliver on those promises.
The upcoming 5th Global High Level Ministerial Conference on AMR is expected to adopt the Abuja Compact on Antimicrobial Resistance, which is being shaped through consultations with member states and other stakeholders. The proposed compact is intended to provide an action-oriented framework for translating global commitments into practical interventions, with greater emphasis on implementation, coordination and accountability.
Lawal outlined four priorities that the four ministries were committing to pursue.
The first is to act with whole-of-government approach through a joint One Health coordination mechanism designed to outlast the upcoming conference.
The second is to deliver local action across sectors, including responsible antimicrobial use on farms and in animal production, as well as safer management of water and waste.
The third is to ensure that the conference is inclusive, providing opportunities for governments, scientists, civil society, the private sector, news organisations and communities to contribute.
The fourth is accountability, including public reporting on Nigeria's progress and support for a tracker mechanism to monitor implementation of the Abuja Compact.
Nigeria's decision to host the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR represents an opportunity to place African priorities more firmly within the international response to drug resistance.
The partnership reflects the cross-sectoral nature of the challenge and the need to align public health, agriculture, veterinary services and environmental management.
The Abuja Compact will provide an important test of whether the international community can make that transition from promises to implementation. But the ultimate measure of success will not be the adoption of a document or the prominence of the conference. It will be whether fewer people suffer from drug-resistant infections that no longer respond to treatment, whether farmers can protect animal and plant health without accelerating drug resistance, and whether governments can sustain the surveillance and public health systems needed to contain the threat.
The third is to ensure that the conference is inclusive, providing opportunities for governments, scientists, civil society, the private sector, news organisations and communities to contribute.
The fourth is accountability, including public reporting on Nigeria's progress and support for a tracker mechanism to monitor implementation of the Abuja Compact.
A test of political commitment and African leadership
Nigeria's decision to host the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR represents an opportunity to place African priorities more firmly within the international response to drug resistance.
The partnership reflects the cross-sectoral nature of the challenge and the need to align public health, agriculture, veterinary services and environmental management.
The Abuja Compact will provide an important test of whether the international community can make that transition from promises to implementation. But the ultimate measure of success will not be the adoption of a document or the prominence of the conference. It will be whether fewer people suffer from drug-resistant infections that no longer respond to treatment, whether farmers can protect animal and plant health without accelerating drug resistance, and whether governments can sustain the surveillance and public health systems needed to contain the threat.
Shobha Shukla - CNS
(Citizen News Service)
13 October 2026
