Nigeria Admits Shortcomings in Tracking Drug-Resistant Infections

The federal government has admitted that there are gaps in Nigeria’s antimicrobial resistance (AMR) tracking. They say the current estimates may not show the true extent of drug-resistant infections in the country.

Muhammad Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, shared this on Monday in Abuja. He spoke at a joint One Health ministerial briefing before the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR.

The conference will take place in Abuja from December 6 to 8, 2026. It will be the first time this event is held in Africa. The theme for the conference is “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitments to Local Action.”

Mr Pate mentioned that Nigeria has proof of antimicrobial resistance in hospitals. But the gaps in surveillance make it hard to provide accurate national estimates.

“The specific numbers depend on the surveillance capabilities. I have to admit that there are still gaps in surveillance,” he said.

He added that Nigeria’s figures “may not be the same” as those from countries with better surveillance systems.

AMR happens when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites become resistant to the medicines meant to treat infections. This makes these medicines less effective or completely useless.

According to Nigeria’s One Health Antimicrobial Resistance National Action Plan 2024-2028, about 64,500 deaths in Nigeria in 2019 were linked to AMR. It also says that 263,400 deaths were connected to AMR. The report warns that these numbers are probably low due to gaps in national AMR tracking.

Worldwide, the 2019 Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) study found that bacterial AMR led to 1.27 million deaths and was associated with 4.95 million deaths.

Mr Pate called AMR a “hidden pandemic.” He said resistant infections are often not quickly identified as the cause of long-term illness or treatment failure.

“Folks go to hospitals, get treated for pneumonia, typhoid, or whatever infectious disease. In some places, without proper knowledge of the sensitivity to the antimicrobial being used, individuals may suffer much longer than they should, and some may have complications or lose their lives,” he said.

He mentioned that Nigerian hospitals have seen complicated pneumonia cases. Patients received multiple antibiotics but did not get better.

“You don’t know why the patient is not getting better, but the root cause is antimicrobial resistance,” he said.

These comments come as Nigeria works to improve its ability to gather AMR data.

In December 2025, Nigeria started its first nationally representative AMR survey. This survey aims to set a national baseline on antimicrobial resistance and improve routine tracking.

The survey will cover 40 to 45 randomly selected health facilities across the country. About 35,000 patients suspected of having bloodstream infections will be involved.

The survey is also expected to look at the impact of AMR, including illness, death rates, and the costs of resistant infections. This will also help improve laboratory and data systems.

A 2025 study of 302 laboratories in Nigeria found serious gaps in their ability to support AMR tracking. Only 7.3 percent of the labs were fully ready for AMR surveillance, while 12.3 percent reported taking part in AMR tracking.

The researchers said AMR tracking is mostly done in government and tertiary laboratories. Lower-level and rural facilities are often not used, leading to gaps in community-level data.

Mr Pate said the government is tackling AMR with a whole-of-government approach. This includes the health, agriculture, livestock, and environment sectors.

He noted that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has run an antimicrobial stewardship program in federal hospitals for the past two and a half years to promote proper use of antimicrobials.

He also mentioned that a clinical governance task force was set up earlier this year. This task force will guide hospital practices that might expose patients to infections.

Other measures include better regulatory oversight, improved drug distribution, more diagnostic capacity, and training of health workers.

Mr Pate emphasized that vaccination and infection prevention also help reduce the need for antimicrobials. He urged Nigerians to avoid using antibiotics without proper medical advice.

“It’s not every cough that needs to use antibiotics. It’s not every catarrh that needs to use antibiotics,” he said.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, stated that the December conference will focus on reviewing progress and speeding up high-impact actions.

He said the conference will also work on developing the Abuja Compact on Antimicrobial Resistance. This will involve consultations with member states and stakeholders.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, explained that resistant organisms can move between humans, animals, farms, food systems, and the environment.

Mr Lawal said the four ministries leading Nigeria’s One Health response have promised to coordinate efforts, take specific actions, report publicly, and track the progress of the Abuja Compact.

Mr Pate assured that the government will keep working with state governments, private-sector partners, and development agencies to strengthen Nigeria’s response to AMR.