By Joyce Ekeh
The Federal Government has warned that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is making infections increasingly difficult to treat, with patients facing prolonged illnesses, treatment failure and potentially preventable deaths.
The government said inappropriate antibiotic use, weak surveillance systems, inadequate diagnostic capacity and the circulation of substandard and counterfeit medicines were complicating efforts to contain the growing public health threat.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, raised the alarm at a joint One Health ministerial media conference ahead of the Fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance, scheduled to hold in Abuja from December 6 to 8, 2026.
Describing AMR as a “hidden pandemic”, Pate said gaps in Nigeria’s surveillance capacity made it difficult to establish the full scale of drug-resistant infections, even as hospitals continued to encounter patients who failed to respond to treatment.
“Antimicrobial resistance is a hidden pandemic, it is silent. People go to hospitals for treatment for pneumonia, typhoid and other infectious diseases. In some cases, without proper knowledge of the susceptibility of the infection to the antimicrobial being used, patients may suffer for much longer than necessary. Some may develop complications or lose their lives,” he said.
According to the minister, Nigeria needs stronger surveillance and diagnostic systems to identify resistant infections, guide treatment decisions and generate reliable data for public health planning.
“There is no doubt that antimicrobial resistance exists in Nigeria. Our hospitals see cases of complicated pneumonia in which patients receive multiple antibiotics without responding to treatment. In some instances, the underlying reason is antimicrobial resistance,” Pate said.
He explained that the country could not effectively tackle AMR by concentrating on hospitals alone, as antibiotic use in livestock production, agricultural practices and environmental contamination could also contribute to the spread of resistance.
“The livestock sector uses more antibiotics than the human health sector,” he said, calling for responsible antimicrobial use in both human and animal health.
Pate said the Federal Government was pursuing a whole-of-government approach involving the ministries responsible for health, livestock, agriculture and the environment, alongside state governments, regulatory agencies, private-sector operators and development partners.
On medicine quality, he said the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control was working to ensure that antimicrobials available in the country were genuine and not counterfeit, while the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria was strengthening oversight of medicine distribution.
The minister also urged Nigerians to stop treating antibiotics as routine remedies for common symptoms, warning that unnecessary use could accelerate resistance and make medicines less effective when they were genuinely needed.
“Not every cough requires antibiotics, and not every episode of diarrhoea requires them either,” he said, advising Nigerians to consult qualified healthcare professionals before taking antibiotics.
He added that inappropriate dosing and failure to follow prescribed treatment instructions could contribute to the emergence and spread of resistance.
Pate called for stronger public education on AMR, including the use of local languages and real-life stories to help communities understand how drug-resistant infections affect patients, families and the wider health system.
Environmental and agricultural risks
Also speaking, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, warned that antimicrobial resistance could spread across sectors through water, soil, waste systems, farms, food and human activities.
Lawal called for stronger coordination, community-level action, inclusive participation and public accountability to ensure that commitments made at the forthcoming conference translate into measurable results.
He also highlighted the importance of environmental sanitation and hygiene in preventing infections and reducing the need for antimicrobial treatment.
From the agricultural sector, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, warned that AMR threatened food security, food safety, agricultural livelihoods and international trade.
Abdullahi said excessive or inappropriate use of antimicrobials in animal production and agriculture could undermine disease control and compromise food safety.
He called for responsible antimicrobial and agrochemical use, stronger food-safety measures, improved biosecurity and more farmer education through agricultural extension services.
The Ministry of Livestock Development also stressed the need to intensify farmer education on vaccination, hygiene, biosecurity and responsible antibiotic use.
Farmers were urged to administer antibiotics to animals only when necessary and under veterinary guidance, while observing prescribed withdrawal periods before animals or their products entered the food market.
One Health approach
The Fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance, scheduled for December 6 to 8 in Abuja, is expected to bring together governments, scientists, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to strengthen coordinated action against AMR.
The One Health approach recognises the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health and the need for joint action to address threats that cross these sectors.
The government’s warning underscores the need for responsible antibiotic use, improved infection prevention, stronger laboratory capacity and better surveillance to help preserve the effectiveness of medicines and protect public health.
Health experts and advocates have consistently stressed that antibiotics should be used appropriately under qualified medical or veterinary guidance, as misuse can contribute to resistance and make infections harder to treat.
