BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC), has warned Nigerians against the continued misuse and overuse of antibiotics, cautioning that such practices are accelerating the spread of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) across the country.
Speaking at the 2025 World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) commemoration in Lagos, the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye—represented by her Special Assistant, Dr. Gbenga Fajemirokun—said AMR poses a silent but urgent threat to human, animal, and environmental health.
She called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to curb the rising public health risk and safeguard the effectiveness of vital medicines.
She pointed out that the theme for this year, “Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future,” is a powerful call to action, adding that ‘it reminds us that the fight against AMR extends beyond hospitals and pharmacies; it also begins on our farms, in our veterinary clinics, and across our food production systems. The choices we make today—both in human and animal health—will determine the health security of our nation for generations to come.’
In human health, the NAFDAC boss warned that AMR leads to treatment failures, prolonged illness, higher mortality rates, and increased risks during medical procedures.
In animal health and agriculture, she maintained that the indiscriminate use of antimicrobials for growth promotion, routine disease prevention, or unregulated application in aquaculture and crop farming has created a breeding ground for resistant pathogens.
According to the DG, these resistant bacteria can spread to humans through the food we consume, water sources, and direct contact with animals. ‘In effect, resistance anywhere is a threat everywhere.’
To protect our shared future, Prof Adeyeye said we must Act Now—by promoting sustainable agricultural practices, enforcing biosecurity, and encouraging good animal husbandry and responsible antimicrobial use.
As Nigeria’s regulatory authority for food, human and animal drugs, and allied products, she emphasised the pivotal role that NAFDAC plays in safeguarding public health, adding that the Agency’sstrategy to combat AMR is rooted in the One Health approach and implemented through a comprehensive, multi-sectoral framework.
She highlighted the four key priorities that guide the NAFDAC’s effort in combatting AMR which include strengthening regulation and surveillance, antibiotic stewardship in the community and hospitals,promoting rational use in animal care, engaging the agricultural value chain and public and professional enlightenment.
The NAFDC DG disclosed that the Agency isintensifying oversight of both human and veterinary antimicrobials, adding that this includes curbing the circulation of substandard and falsified veterinary drugs, enforcing compliance with quality standards, and strengthening pharmacovigilance and post-marketing surveillance systems.
She said NAFDAC is committed to ensuring that antimicrobials for animals are used strictly under veterinary supervision, only for treatment—not for growth promotion or as a substitute for good farm practices. ‘We are working closely with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and the veterinary community to promote safer alternatives and ensure best practices.’
Prof Adeyeye further stated that NAFDAC isactively partnering with farmers, feed producers, veterinarians, and industry stakeholders to raise awareness and promote alternatives, such as vaccines, biosecurity measures, and improved farm management practices, noting that ‘we are also regulating the use of antimicrobials in medicated feeds to prevent non-therapeutic use.’
Through nationwide campaigns, she said we are educating the public, farmers, and professionals alike. ‘Our message is simple: Responsible antimicrobial use is everyone’s responsibility.Protecting animals means protecting people—and preserving the power of antimicrobials for the future.’
She urged healthcare professionals and veterinarians whom she described as the frontline defenders of public health to use antimicrobials judiciously and always under evidence-based guidance.
She however, urged the farmers and livestock producers to adopt good animal husbandry, hygiene, and vaccination practices to reduce the need for antibiotics.
She also admonished pharmacists to dispense antimicrobials only with valid prescriptions and educate consumers on responsible use.
To every Nigerian, she said; avoid self-medication, seek professional care, and demand responsibly produced food as she also urged media to continue to amplify awareness. ‘The story of AMR is one that must be told—clearly, urgently, and repeatedly.’
Prof Adeyeye envisions a Nigeria where infections in humans and animals remain treatable, our food chain is safe, and modern medicine continues to save lives—is one we must build together. ‘That future is not assured; it must be earned through coordinated action and sustained vigilance.’
The NAFDAC boss reiterated that the fight against AMR will be won or lost based on our collective and coordinated efforts across the human–animal–environment interface, adding that NAFDAC remains fully committed to playing its regulatory and leadership role with integrity, diligence, and innovation.
‘Let this year’s WAAW mark a renewed commitment to unity, collaboration, and sustained action. Together, let us Act Now—to protect our present and secure a healthier, safer, and more prosperous Nigeria.’
Speaking in same vein, Director of the Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate of NAFDAC, Mrs. Temitayo Stephanie Adeoye noted with dismay that Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) threatens the very foundation of modern medicine and food security. She maintained that the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in both human and animal health sectors, and the release of drug residues into the environment, have accelerated the emergence of resistant pathogens.
If not urgently addressed, she warned that the country risks returning to a time when minor infections could once again become fatal.
‘Our call to “Act Now” is a call to strengthen surveillance systems, enforce responsible antimicrobial use, and ensure the availability of safe, quality medicines through robust regulatory oversight,’ she said.
At NAFDAC, she further stated that through the Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate (VMAP) and other Directorates in the Agency ‘we continue to ensure that all medicinal products circulating within Nigeria are safe, effective, and of assured quality, adding that ‘our team is leading inter-agency collaborations on AMR surveillance in the veterinary sector, promoting rational antimicrobial use, and integrating stewardship principles across the livestock and aquaculture value chains.
The Directorate also collaborates with partners under the One Health platform to harmonize data, enhance AMU/AMC reporting, and enhance laboratory capacities for AMR testing, ensuring that our interventions are science-based, traceable, and impactful.’
