By Omoyeni Ojeifo
The failure of antibiotics could turn treatable infections into deadly threats, put mothers at greater risk during childbirth and make surgery more dangerous, the Federal Government has warned.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, gave the warning at a joint press briefing in Abuja on Monday, ahead of the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance, AMR, scheduled for December 6 to 8, 2026.
He described AMR as a “silent pandemic,” warning that the threat required coordinated action across human health, animal health, agriculture and the environment.
He explained that when antibiotics and other antimicrobials lose their effectiveness, routine infections become dangerous, surgery and childbirth carry greater risks, and healthcare costs rise for families.
According to Pate, Nigeria would use the conference to advance global commitments, including the 2024 United Nations Political Declaration on AMR, the Muscat Manifesto and the Jeddah Commitments.
He added that the conference would culminate in the adoption of the Abuja Compact on AMR.
The minister urged Nigerians to avoid self-medication, use antibiotics responsibly and complete their doctors’ prescriptions to help prevent antimicrobial resistance.
Also speaking, the Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said antimicrobial resistance crossed sectoral boundaries, spreading from people to animals, farms to food, and through water, soil and waste.
“No single ministry could tackle the problem alone, the four ministries would establish a joint One Health coordination mechanism extending beyond the conference,” PerSecondNews correspondent at the briefing quotes Lawal as saying.
He emphasized that the government would promote responsible antimicrobial use in hospitals, on farms and in animal production, alongside safe waste and water management.
The minister added that the conference would provide an inclusive platform for governments, scientists, civil society, young people, the private sector and communities.
“The government would publicly report Nigeria’s progress and support implementation of the Abuja Compact through the Troika mechanism,” he stressed.
Lawal identified a clean environment, improved sanitation, and personal and community hygiene as critical measures for preventing infections that drive antibiotic use.
In his address, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, represented by the Director of Plant Health and Pest Control Services, Mrs. Iwendi Grace Odunola, said AMR threatened agriculture and food security.
He explained that inappropriate or excessive antimicrobial use accelerated resistance, undermined disease control, reduced agricultural productivity, compromised food safety, disrupted trade and threatened farmers’ livelihoods.
Abdullahi stressed that the ministry’s priorities included promoting responsible antimicrobial and agrochemical use, strengthening food safety systems and expanding agricultural extension services.
“Farmers would receive education on good agricultural practices, biosecurity and Integrated Pest Management, alongside sustainable alternatives to protect crops, livestock, consumers and the environment,”he said.
According to the minister, the conference theme, “One Health — Advancing Global AMR Commitments through Local Action,” highlighted the need for measurable action to protect people, agriculture, food systems and the environment.
“Collaboration among the four ministries is critical because resistance could emerge and spread across people, animals, food systems and the environment,” he noted.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, represented by the Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Abdukareem Durosunlorun, called for increased farmer education.
He warned farmers against prioritising profit over human health and urged poultry and livestock producers to administer antibiotics only on prescription.
Maiha also urged farmers to observe withdrawal periods strictly before taking their products to market.
PerSecondNews reports that Nigeria will host the conference at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, from December 6 to 8, 2026, bringing together ministers and stakeholders from more than 100 countries.
The meeting, to be hosted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and co-led by the four ministries, will feature a Non-State Actors Day and ministerial sessions on delivery, high-impact interventions and governance.
A closed-door ministerial roundtable will culminate in the adoption of the Abuja Compact on AMR and the handover of the conference presidency to Brazil, host of the sixth meeting in 2028.
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