The Federal Government has raised the alarm over antimicrobial resistance (AMR), describing it as a silent pandemic causing complicated infections and deaths in Nigerian hospitals, as the country prepares to host the first-ever global ministerial conference on the subject in Africa.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said on Monday that antimicrobial resistance had become one of the gravest threats to public health, requiring urgent action across government ministries and sectors.
Pate spoke in Abuja at an inter-ministerial media briefing on AMR, where he announced that Nigeria would host the Fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance from December 6 to 8, 2026.
The conference, which will be the first to be held on African soil, is themed “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitment Through Local Action.”
The minister explained that antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria and other disease-causing organisms develop the ability to withstand medicines designed to eliminate them, making infections harder to treat.
He warned that when antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines stop working effectively, routine infections can become dangerous, while surgery and childbirth carry greater risks and healthcare costs rise for families.
According to him, the problem extends beyond human health because resistance can spread through animals, plants, food systems and the environment.
Pate said the Federal Government was therefore adopting a whole-of-government, One Health approach to strengthen coordination and address the problem across different sectors.
At the December conference, ministers and representatives from countries around the world are expected to review progress, accelerate effective interventions and strengthen global governance on antimicrobial resistance.
The meeting is also expected to produce the Abuja Compact on Antimicrobial Resistance, which is being developed through consultations with member states and other stakeholders to translate existing commitments into practical action.
Also speaking, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said antimicrobial resistance did not respect boundaries between sectors, noting that it could spread from humans to animals, through farms and food, and via water, soil and waste.
He stressed that no single ministry could effectively tackle the challenge without cooperation from other sectors.
Lawal said the four ministries leading Nigeria’s One Health response were committed to establishing a joint coordination mechanism that would continue beyond the conference.
He added that the government would promote responsible antimicrobial use in hospitals, farms and animal production, while strengthening the safe management of waste and water.
The minister also pledged support for an inclusive conference that would provide opportunities for governments, scientists, civil society organisations, young people, private-sector players and communities to contribute to the global response.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, represented by the Director of Plant Health and Pest Control Services in the ministry, Mrs. Iwendi Grace Odunola, warned that AMR posed a serious threat to agriculture, food security and farmers’ livelihoods.
He explained that although antimicrobials play important roles in protecting human, animal and plant health, their inappropriate or excessive use could accelerate resistance and undermine disease control.
According to him, the consequences include reduced agricultural productivity, compromised food safety, disruptions to trade and threats to farmers’ incomes.
“Addressing AMR is therefore essential to safeguarding our food systems and strengthening national resilience,” he said.
Abdullahi said the agricultural sector’s response would focus on promoting responsible use of antimicrobials and agrochemicals, strengthening food safety systems and expanding agricultural extension services.
Other priorities include educating farmers on Good Agricultural Practices, biosecurity and Integrated Pest Management, as well as ensuring access to appropriate guidance and sustainable alternatives that protect crops, livestock, consumers and the environment.
The minister warned that projections indicating an 11 per cent decline in livestock production in low-income countries by 2050 due to antimicrobial resistance underscored the urgency of these interventions.
He said the December conference offered Nigeria an opportunity to demonstrate African leadership by showcasing practical interventions, strengthening partnerships and advancing commitments capable of delivering measurable results.
Abdullahi urged stakeholders to ensure that the country’s message went beyond declarations to produce concrete action at farm, community, institutional and national levels.
He commended fellow ministers, development partners and technical stakeholders for their collaboration, while acknowledging the media’s role in raising public awareness.
The Federal Ministries of Health and Social Welfare, Agriculture and Food Security, Livestock Development, and Environment jointly lead Nigeria’s One Health response to antimicrobial resistance.
The government’s renewed focus on the issue reflects growing concern over the threat resistant infections pose to public health, food production, environmental safety and the sustainability of healthcare systems.
