Govt tackles antimicrobial resistance across sectors

Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi.

The Federal Government is uniting the health, agriculture, livestock and environment sectors to combat antimicrobial resistance, as Nigeria prepares to host the first global ministerial conference on the issue in Africa.

The fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance, scheduled for December 6 to 8, 2026, in Abuja, will bring together ministers and stakeholders from over 100 countries to review progress and develop solutions to the growing threat.

AMR occurs when microorganisms no longer respond to medicines designed to treat infections and is linked to an estimated 1.3 million deaths annually worldwide.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, represented by the Director of Plant Health and Pest Control Services, Iwendi Odunola, said AMR threatened agriculture and food security as well as human health.

She explained that inappropriate or excessive antimicrobial use accelerated resistance, undermined disease control, reduced agricultural productivity, compromised food safety, disrupted trade and threatened farmers’ livelihoods.

“Antimicrobial resistance is not only a human health challenge; it is also a significant threat to agriculture and food security,” she said, adding that coordinated action was essential to safeguarding food systems and strengthening national resilience.

She said the four ministries were working together because resistance could spread across people, animals, food systems and the environment. Their priorities included responsible antimicrobial use, stronger food safety systems, agricultural extension services, biosecurity and Integrated Pest Management.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, described AMR as a “silent pandemic” that kills quietly.

• Yahaya’s aide urges increased participation in farming
• NITDA pushes digital tools to bridge agricultural gap
• Jigawa farmers face LPG scarcity after switching from petrol

He said when antibiotics and other antimicrobials stopped working, routine infections became dangerous, surgery and childbirth carried greater risks, and healthcare costs increased. He added that the conference was expected to adopt the Abuja Compact on AMR.

Pate urged Nigerians to avoid self-medication and follow their doctors’ prescriptions.

The Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said AMR crossed sectoral boundaries through people, animals, farms, food, water, soil and waste.

He said the four ministries would establish a joint One Health coordination mechanism beyond the conference and promote responsible antimicrobial use in hospitals, farms and animal production, alongside safe waste and water management.

Lawal added that the government would report Nigeria’s progress publicly and support follow-up actions under the Abuja Compact through the Troika mechanism. He stressed that sanitation and personal and community hygiene were vital to preventing infections.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, represented by the Chief Veterinary Officer, Abdukareem Durosunlorun, urged farmers to prioritise human health, use antibiotics only on prescription and observe withdrawal periods before marketing livestock products.