The Nigerian government on Tuesday inaugurated a multi-sectoral Ministerial Advisory Committee to coordinate preparations for the 5th Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), slated for June 29–30, 2026, in Abuja, the nation’s capital
The committee brought together key ministries, development partners, experts, related stakeholders, armed to ensure the country hosts a first-rated conference, matched with best international practices, that will also align with the goal of global AMR commitments.
The convergence of global health stakeholders at next year’s conference would be the first of its kind on African soil, according to the Director-General of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Jide Idris, who also said that AMR is the cause of over 65,000 deaths annually in the country.
Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja, Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate said the country took an integrated approach to dealing with issues of health, human health, animal health, plant health, environment which are all interconnected, and that’s the reason the One Health steering committee was established prior to this time.
“We need to look at these issues holistically, by working together. We can mobilize experts across various sectors and disciplines to develop sustainable, multi sectoral approaches, solutions that act on health, animal Health and the environmental ecosystem, secure our food systems, and that’s the reason we are rolling this approach into a preparation for this conference in 2026″, Prof. Pate said.
Advocating for a multi sectoral approach in preparations for the event in 2026, the Minister said it is imperative for Nigeria to respond to the challenge of antimicrobial resistance, and begin to take actions.
He commended Dr. Jide and the planning committee for their work on the planned high-level ministerial conference on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), in 2026.
The Minister acknowledged the importance collaboration across sectors, particularly between the Ministries of Health and Livestock, in addressing the challenge of AMR.
“By working closely with the Livestock Ministry, we know that lot of use of antibiotic programs in the animal sector drives resistance in the human health arena as well”, Pate said.
The country’s Minister of Livestock Development expressed Nigeria’s intent on addressing challenges caused by AMR through a One Health approach. He said it has already impacted Nigeria’s livestock industry with declining productivity, and requires coordinated, multi-sectoral, and sustained collaboration across health, livestock, agriculture, environment, and beyond, adding that no single sector can address AMR alone.
“Hosting this conference is not just about logistics, it’s about showing leadership, driving local action, and strengthening our national response”, he added.
The Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health said that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is not only a public health challenge, but also an environmental crisis. Omotunde Adeola, while representing the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said the environment plays a critical role in the propagation of resistant microorganisms and environment is both a reservoir and a transmission pathway for pathogens.
“In Nigeria, as in many parts of the world, antimicrobial residues enter the environment through untreated hospital waste, wasteful runoff, open defecation, poor waste management and indiscriminate disposal of expired drugs”, she said.