The Federal Government has called for stronger collaboration across agriculture, livestock, healthcare and environmental management to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) ahead of a global ministerial conference scheduled for Abuja in December.
The call was made on Monday during a joint ministerial briefing involving the Ministries of Health and Social Welfare, Agriculture and Food Security, Livestock Development, and Environment, ahead of the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR holding from December 6 to 8, 2026.
The conference, the first of its kind to be hosted on African soil, will bring together government officials, scientists, development partners and other stakeholders to advance practical solutions to drug resistance.
With the theme, “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitments to Local Action,” the meeting will focus on translating international commitments into coordinated action across human health, animal production, food systems and the environment.
Speaking at the briefing, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said AMR was a growing public health threat, estimated to have contributed to about 64,500 deaths in Nigeria in 2019.
He explained that resistance develops when microorganisms no longer respond effectively to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of complications and death.
Pate said Nigeria was strengthening antimicrobial stewardship in federal hospitals, clinical governance, pharmaceutical regulation and laboratory diagnostic services. He also identified vaccination, infection prevention and responsible antibiotic use as important measures for reducing the spread of resistant infections.
The minister acknowledged gaps in national surveillance and called for improved monitoring systems to support a more effective response.
From the agricultural sector, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, warned that inappropriate antimicrobial use could undermine livestock health, crop production, food safety, trade and farmers’ livelihoods.
He identified farmer education, responsible use of agricultural chemicals and medicines, stronger biosecurity and improved extension services as priorities for limiting the risks.
Abdullahi said Nigeria could use the December conference to promote practical interventions and partnerships that protect agricultural productivity while supporting public health and environmental sustainability.
The Ministry of Livestock Development also highlighted the need to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use in animal production through vaccination, improved feeding, proper hygiene, disease prevention and veterinary supervision.
A ministry representative stressed that farmers must observe prescribed withdrawal periods before treated animals and their products enter the food supply chain.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said resistant organisms could spread through water, soil and poorly managed waste, making environmental protection an essential part of AMR prevention.
Lawal said the four ministries had committed to establishing a joint coordination mechanism to sustain collaboration beyond the conference, alongside improved waste management and wider stakeholder participation.
In a joint ministerial statement delivered by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, the government said the conference would review progress, accelerate priority interventions and strengthen international cooperation.
Salako cited a 2022 study on antimicrobial resistance published in The Lancet, which estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019.
He warned that more than 39 million deaths could be directly attributable to AMR globally between 2025 and 2050 without effective intervention.
According to him, the conference would advance the proposed Abuja Compact on Antimicrobial Resistance, which is being developed through consultations with member states and other stakeholders.
The compact is expected to build on existing international commitments, including the United Nations General Assembly’s political declaration on AMR, by promoting measurable action.
The Federal Government said hosting the conference would provide an opportunity to strengthen global partnerships and advance a coordinated One Health response, with implementation across relevant sectors central to efforts to contain antimicrobial resistance.
