Nigeria’s top drug regulator has warned that the misuse of antimicrobials in hospitals, agriculture and food production threatens global health security, urging immediate action to prevent a future where common infections become untreatable.
Marking the 2025 World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW), NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye said the misuse of antibiotics and related drugs is accelerating Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), a problem that could reverse decades of medical progress.
The global awareness week, themed “Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future,” highlights the intertwined health of humans, animals and the environment. Adeyeye said this connection illustrates why the fight against AMR must extend beyond hospitals to farms, veterinary facilities and food systems.
“The wrong use of antimicrobials is putting our future at risk. These drugs save lives, yet dependence on them for growth promotion in livestock and uncontrolled use in aquaculture and crop farming is breeding dangerous pathogens,” she said.
She warned that resistant bacteria travel easily through food supplies, contaminated water and interaction with animals, with consequences including prolonged disease, increased medical costs and higher mortality rates.
NAFDAC’s approach to tackling AMR, she explained, is built on the One Health framework and includes improved regulation, hospital and community drug stewardship, responsible animal treatment and public awareness.
The agency is working with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and veterinary professionals to enforce veterinary supervision for antimicrobial use. Adeyeye also called on pharmacists to stop dispensing antibiotics without prescriptions and urged Nigerians to refrain from self-medication.
“Responsible antimicrobial use is a shared duty,” she said. “Protecting the potency of these medicines today will determine whether they can save lives in the future. The media must help amplify this message.”
