Health experts have raised alarm over the rising threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Nigeria, describing it as a “silent killer”, calling for urgent policy interventions to curb its devastating effects on human health, animals and the environment.
A policy brief prepared by the African Institute for Health Policy and Health Systems at David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, in collaboration with the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI) and the World Health Organization’s Evidence to Policy Network (EVIPNet), ranked Nigeria 20th globally in age-standardised AMR mortality, revealing that more than 263,400 deaths were linked to AMR in 2019 alone.
The report warned of dire consequences if action were delayed, including increased morbidity, higher economic burden, reduced effectiveness of antibiotics, environmental degradation, and worsening food insecurity.
At a multi-stakeholder policy dialogue held on August 7, 2025, in Abuja, stakeholders from the Ministries of Health, Agriculture, and Environment, the National Assembly, WHO, and FLI Germany brainstormed strategies to reverse the trend.
Francis Nuvey, FLI’s representative, expressed delight in partnering with Nigerian institutions, stressing that the One-Health approach which integrates human, animal, and environmental health is key to addressing the crisDUFUH
Jesse Uneke, Vice Chancellor of DUFUHS, emphasised that AMR is silently claiming lives across Nigeria. He noted that evidence-based policies are critical to strengthening weak health systems and ensuring antibiotics remain effective.
“Policy briefs provide a concise way of presenting research evidence to policymakers, thereby improving the chances of evidence-informed decision-making,” Uneke explained.
Onyedikachi Chukwu, Health policy expert, who presented findings from a systematic review, warned that misuse of antibiotics is fueling the crisis. His research showed that 42% of adults fail to complete prescribed doses, while between 47% and 71% of children receive antibiotics without prescriptions.
The policy brief outlined four key strategies to curb AMR: promoting behavioural change to discourage misuse of antibiotics; institutionalising antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention; strengthening integrated AMR surveillance systems; and fostering multi-sectoral collaboration across health, agriculture, and environment.
The event, which featured goodwill messages, expert presentations, and group discussions, ended with a call for urgent action to implement these strategies before AMR spirals further out of control.
