As Nigeria marks the 2025 World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW), the Livestock Ministry has sounded the alarm on the reckless use of antibiotics, thereby urging citizens, clinicians, veterinarians, and farmers to adopt responsible antimicrobial practices.
Speaking at the flag‑off ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha warned that unchecked misuse of antimicrobials across humans, animals, and crops is fast‑tracking the global AMR crisis.
The Minister—represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi—further stressed that Nigerians must “stop the inappropriate and unprescribed use of antibiotics in humans, animals, and plants,” describing the behaviour as a major driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
He added that this year’s WAAW theme, “Act Now, Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future,” is one that requires the urgency of collective action.
Mukhtar explained that AMR occurs “when disease-causing agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer respond to treatments that were previously effective.”
Additionally, he warned that by 2050, AMR could cause up to 10 million deaths annually, with Africa projected to account for about 4 million of those deaths.
The Minister then reiterated the call for clinicians, veterinarians, livestock farmers, and practitioners to adopt prudent use of antimicrobials, stressing that “responsible and judicious use is critical to safeguarding public health and protecting the future of food systems.”
Earlier, in his own remarks, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria (CVON), Dr. Samuel Anzaku, represented by the National Coordinator for PPR, Dr. Patience Tomoh described AMR as “a One Health challenge requiring urgent, bold, and coordinated action.”
He lamented that the continuous misuse of antimicrobials across humans, animals, and crops is “threatening food systems, economies, and sustainable development.”
The Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), represented by Dr. Nasir Ahmed, also emphasized a stronger surveillance and collaboration.
He stated that Nigeria must “promote responsible use of antimicrobials and deepen collaboration across sectors of the One Health ecosystem.”
Similarly, Chief Environmental Health Officer Chika Okpala, who represented the Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health at the Federal Ministry of Environment, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to improving environmental surveillance.
She highlighted ongoing efforts to advance “wastewater and hotspot monitoring,” alongside antimicrobial stewardship through WASH and pollution-control interventions.
In her goodwill message, Dr. Solomon Olorunleke, who represented the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), reaffirmed FAO’s support for Nigeria in strengthening food security and combating AMR. Additional goodwill messages came from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Fleming Fund MSH, DRASA, DUCIT Blue, the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, the National Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), and the NCDC.
The week-long 2025 WAAW campaign, which runs until November 24, would feature public sensitisation activities across Abuja and selected states.
These activities, coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and its One Health partners, aim to educate the public, engage livestock farmers, and reinforce national commitment to the responsible use of antimicrobials.
