The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has joined the global community to commemorate the 2025 World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW), calling for urgent and united action to tackle the growing threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The annual awareness week, marked from November 18 to 24, focuses on creating public understanding about the dangers of misusing antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs.
This year’s theme, “Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future,” highlights the rising global concern that drug-resistant infections could undermine major gains in medicine and public health if nothing is done to stop the trend.
During a press briefing in Abuja, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by Dr. Gbenga Fajemirokun, emphasized that AMR is not just a medical issue but a One Health challenge, affecting humans, animals, and the environment. She explained that Nigeria faces a serious risk if the misuse and overuse of antibiotics continue across hospitals, veterinary practices, farms, and food-processing industries.
Antimicrobial Resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer respond to medicines meant to treat them. This makes infections harder to manage and increases the risk of severe illness and death. The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly warned that AMR could become the next major global health crisis if countries fail to act now.
Prof. Adeyeye echoed this concern, describing AMR as a silent but dangerous threat spreading rapidly around the world. “Resistance anywhere is a threat everywhere,” she said, noting that resistant infections can spread across borders through travel, trade, and food distribution.
Nigeria, like many developing countries, faces additional challenges because antibiotics are widely available without prescriptions, and self-medication is common. In rural areas, farmers often rely on antibiotics to boost livestock growth and prevent diseases, even without proper veterinary guidance. These practices increase the chances of resistant bacteria spreading into the food chain and the environment.
To fight the growing threat, the Director-General outlined the agency’s AMR containment strategy, which is built on a multi-sectoral One Health approach involving human health, animal health, agriculture, and environmental sectors.
The strategy includes:
Strengthening regulation and surveillance of antimicrobial use in both humans and animals.
Promoting rational use of antibiotics in veterinary practices.
Working with farmers and livestock producers to improve hygiene, vaccination, and biosecurity, reducing the need for non-therapeutic antibiotic use.
Nationwide campaigns to educate the public on the dangers of misuse and the importance of completing prescribed doses.
Partnerships with international agencies to increase laboratory capacity and improve data on drug resistance trends.
Prof. Adeyeye stressed that the government cannot solve AMR alone. “We must all take responsibility,” she said. “Doctors, nurses, veterinarians, farmers, pharmacists, journalists, and ordinary citizens all have a role to play in stopping drug resistance.”
The agency issued a strong call to action to different groups in society.
Healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses, were urged to prescribe antibiotics only when necessary and avoid giving them for viral illnesses such as colds or flu.
Veterinarians were advised to stop routine or preventive use of antibiotics in animals unless absolutely needed.
Farmers were encouraged to adopt improved farm practices, ensure proper vaccination of livestock, and stop using antimicrobials to boost growth.
Pharmacists were reminded that antibiotics must be dispensed only with a valid prescription.
The public was cautioned against self-medication, sharing leftover drugs, and stopping treatment before completing the prescribed course.
The Director-General also urged the Nigerian media to continue educating the public, saying awareness remains one of the strongest tools in the fight against AMR.
NAFDAC used the event to appreciate national and global partners that have supported Nigeria’s fight against drug resistance. Notable among them are the Fleming Fund, which supports AMR surveillance in many developing countries, and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, which has partnered with NAFDAC on livestock health and drug regulation.
Prof. Adeyeye said these partnerships have helped Nigeria improve laboratory testing for resistant pathogens, expand monitoring systems, and train health workers on proper antimicrobial stewardship.
She added that Nigeria’s response has grown stronger in recent years because of more coordinated action between the Federal Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and universities conducting AMR research.
In Nigeria, hospitals have already reported increasing cases of infections that do not respond to common antibiotics, leading to longer hospital stays, higher treatment costs, and more casualties.
Prof. Adeyeye noted that the growing trend is alarming and could weaken Nigeria’s health system if not addressed urgently. “The time to act is now,” she insisted. “Antimicrobial Resistance threatens our present and our future. By working together, we can protect both.”
As the 2025 World Antimicrobial Awareness Week continues, NAFDAC says its goal is to push every sector of Nigerian society to take the issue seriously and join the global fight. The agency promised to increase enforcement against illegal drug markets, strengthen surveillance in pharmacies and veterinary shops, and continue supporting laboratories that track resistance patterns.
The Director-General reaffirmed NAFDAC’s long-term commitment to collaboration, innovation, and accountability in safeguarding the nation’s health security.
In her closing remarks, she said: “If we act now, we can protect our communities, our families, and our future generations. But if we fail to act, the consequences will be severe for our nation and the world.”
For now, NAFDAC is calling on all Nigerians to understand that stopping drug resistance is not only the job of government agencies or health professionals—it is a collective responsibility that affects every home, every farm and every community.
