Nigeria's Government Addresses Antimicrobial Resistance Crisis

The Federal Government of Nigeria has raised an alarm regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which was estimated to have caused 64,500 deaths in the country in 2019. This announcement was made by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, during a joint One Health ministerial press conference in Abuja.

The government is preparing to host the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR from December 6 to 8, 2026, marking the first time this conference will be held in Africa. Pate described AMR as a “hidden pandemic” that complicates the treatment of infections like pneumonia and typhoid.

The government is adopting a whole-of-government approach to address AMR, which includes initiatives in livestock, agriculture, and environmental health. Measures already in place include an antimicrobial stewardship programme in federal hospitals, the establishment of a clinical governance task force, and enhanced regulatory oversight by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

Pate acknowledged existing gaps in Nigeria’s AMR surveillance system and emphasized the need for improved surveillance and infection control.