Nigeria to host Global AMR Conference as government pledges coordinated action against drug resistance
Without effective intervention, more than 39 million deaths could be directly attributable to AMR globally between 2025 and 2050.
BY Shobha Shukla – CNS (Citizen News Service)
NIGERIA—Nigeria will host the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Abuja from December 6 to 8, 2026, as the Federal Government steps up efforts to combat drug resistance through coordinated action across healthcare, agriculture, animal health, and environmental protection.
The conference, the first of its kind to take place in Africa, will be held under the theme, “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitments to Local Action.”
It aims to bring governments and other stakeholders together to strengthen international cooperation, accelerate interventions and translate existing political commitments into measurable progress.
The Nigerian government is organising the meeting in partnership with the Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR, comprising the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, described the conference as an opportunity to move beyond political declarations and implement practical measures.
He said the government would prioritise stronger surveillance, responsible antimicrobial use, improved laboratory capacity and increased domestic production of essential medicines.
Speaking at a media briefing, Pate described AMR as one of the most serious threats to global health and called for a coordinated response across government and society.
He said Nigeria intends to use the Abuja meeting to strengthen its national response while demonstrating how African countries can work together against a threat that crosses borders and affects human health, animal production, food systems and the environment.
The briefing was brought to attention through Ojoma Akor, head of the Nigeria AMR Media Alliance (NAMA) and a health and science journalist and editor.
AMR poses a growing global health threat
The scale of the problem is reflected in estimates from the 2022 Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) study published in The Lancet.
According to figures cited by Pate, bacterial AMR directly caused an estimated 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019, while approximately 64,500 deaths in Nigeria that year were attributable to the problem.
Without effective intervention, more than 39 million deaths could be directly attributable to AMR globally between 2025 and 2050, he warned.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites develop resistance to medicines designed to treat the infections they cause.
As these organisms become less susceptible to treatment, medicines that previously worked effectively may no longer control infections, increasing the risk of complications and death.
The consequences extend beyond hospitals. Drug-resistant infections can make common illnesses such as pneumonia more difficult to treat, increase the risks associated with surgery and childbirth, and prolong hospital stays.
They can also raise treatment costs for patients and place additional pressure on already overstretched healthcare systems.
Pate said AMR often receives less attention than other public health emergencies because resistance can develop and spread without immediately obvious warning signs.
“Folks go to hospitals, get treated for pneumonia, typhoid, or whatever infectious disease,” he said.
However, patients may develop complications or die if the antimicrobial prescribed does not work against the organism causing the infection.
He also acknowledged gaps in Nigeria’s surveillance systems, noting that the country’s AMR data may not yet be as comprehensive or reliable as information collected through more established monitoring systems elsewhere.
One Health approach links human, animal and environmental health
Nigeria’s strategy recognises that healthcare interventions alone cannot contain AMR.
The government is therefore pursuing a One Health approach that connects human health, animal health, agriculture and environmental protection.
This approach reflects how resistant organisms can emerge and spread between people, animals and the environment.
The use of antimicrobials in livestock production, for example, can contribute to resistance when farmers administer these medicines excessively or inappropriately.
Resistant organisms may then spread through direct contact, food chains and environmental pathways.
Nigeria’s agriculture and food security authorities have also warned that the misuse of antimicrobials and agrochemicals can undermine disease control, compromise food safety, disrupt trade and threaten livelihoods.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said AMR threatens not only human health but also agricultural productivity and food security.
Although antimicrobials play an important role in treating infections in people and animals, their inappropriate or excessive use can accelerate resistance and weaken the ability to control disease.
Abdullahi said the agricultural response would focus on promoting responsible antimicrobial use, strengthening food safety systems, expanding agricultural extension services and educating farmers about good agricultural practices and biosecurity.
He added that farmers need practical guidance and sustainable alternatives to protect crops, livestock, consumers and the environment.
The government aims to extend AMR interventions to farms and communities rather than limiting them to policy documents and hospital protocols.
Environmental protection is another essential component of the response. Resistant organisms and antimicrobial residues can enter water, soil and waste systems, creating conditions that allow resistance to persist and spread.
Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said AMR crosses traditional sectoral boundaries, moving between people, animals, farms, food systems and the environment.
Nigeria strengthens antimicrobial stewardship and infection control
Over the past two and a half years, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has pursued an antimicrobial stewardship programme to guide prescribing and promote appropriate medicine use in federal hospitals and other participating facilities.
Antimicrobial stewardship seeks to ensure that patients receive the appropriate medicine at the correct dose and for the recommended duration, while reducing unnecessary prescriptions and ineffective treatment.
Pate also highlighted the establishment of a clinical governance task force earlier in 2026 to develop guidance on hospital practices that can expose patients to healthcare-associated infections and contribute to the spread of resistant organisms.
The government is also strengthening infection prevention and control. Improved hygiene, appropriate clinical procedures, timely diagnosis and effective infection control can prevent infections and reduce the need for antimicrobial treatment.
Regulatory agencies also have a role in addressing weaknesses in medicine quality and distribution, which can undermine effective treatment and contribute to the broader AMR challenge.
Abuja Compact to translate global commitments into action
Pate cited the United Nations General Assembly’s 2014 and 2024 political declarations on AMR, the Muscat Ministerial Manifesto and the 2024 Jeddah commitments as important milestones in international efforts to address drug resistance.
He said governments must now focus on implementing these commitments.
The fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR is expected to adopt the Abuja Compact on Antimicrobial Resistance.
Member states and other stakeholders are contributing to consultations on the proposed framework, which aims to translate global commitments into practical interventions through stronger implementation, coordination and accountability.
Lawal outlined four priorities that Nigeria’s ministries are committing to advance.
The first is a whole-of-government approach supported by a joint One Health coordination mechanism that will continue operating beyond the conference.
The second is to translate commitments into local action across sectors. This includes promoting responsible antimicrobial use in farming and animal production while improving water management and waste disposal.
The third is to ensure an inclusive conference that allows governments, scientists, civil society organisations, private-sector representatives, journalists and communities to contribute to discussions and solutions.
The fourth is accountability. Nigeria intends to report publicly on its progress and support a tracking mechanism to monitor implementation of the Abuja Compact.
The conference is expected to provide a platform for governments and international partners to align their efforts on AMR, strengthen cross-sector cooperation, and advance practical measures to address drug resistance in healthcare, agriculture, animal production, and environmental management.
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