Experts have called for stricter enforcement of regulations on antibiotic sales and greater public awareness to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the country.

They warned that the misuse of antibiotics could undermine the country’s ability to treat common infections, while their overuse in healthcare, farming and livestock accelerates resistance.

The experts, who spoke at the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Reporting Training Programme organised by the A-STEP Project of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), stressed that a coordinated One Health approach is essential to tackling AMR and preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics.

They emphasised that the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance requires a coordinated response that recognises the inseparable relationship between human, animal and environmental health.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of IHVN, Dr Patrick Dakum, said many Nigerians frequently consume antibiotics, especially Augmentin, tetracycline and Flagyl, without doctors’ prescriptions, stressing the need to ensure accountability and responsible antibiotic use to protect public health.

Dakum, who was represented by the Principal Investigator at the International Research Centre, Centre of Excellence, IHVN, Dr Eriobu Nnakelu, said AMR is a major public health concern because medicines used to treat infections are increasingly becoming ineffective.

He said the consequences extend beyond health, affecting household incomes, productivity and the nation’s economy, as patients spend scarce resources on ineffective treatment while remaining unable to work.

Dakum observed that journalists have an important role to play in communicating scientific findings to Nigerians, adding that effective science communication is essential to combating the scourge of AMR.

He stressed that addressing AMR requires a coordinated response involving healthcare professionals, pharmacists, patent medicine vendors, environmental health practitioners, livestock producers, policymakers and the media.

Dakum disclosed that the institute is investing in public health research to address challenges such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis (TB), maternal and child health, as well as antimicrobial resistance.

Also speaking, the Principal Investigator of the A-STEP Project, Dr Charity Oga-Omenka, observed that antimicrobials are widely used across Nigeria’s poultry, cattle and fish farming sectors, often under weak regulation and with easy over-the-counter access.

Oga-Omenka noted that tetracycline is the most used antibiotic and is frequently misused for growth promotion without prescription. She added that antibiotics enter the environment through hospital and pharmaceutical wastewater.

She said available studies indicate that nearly 70 per cent of Nigerians obtain antibiotics without a prescription, a practice that significantly contributes to antimicrobial resistance.

Oga-Omenka, an Assistant Professor and Global Health Researcher at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, cautioned Nigerians against self-diagnosis and self-medication, noting that symptoms such as fever, cough and fatigue can result from different illnesses, including malaria, COVID-19, tuberculosis, influenza and the common cold.

She emphasised that instead of assuming the cause of an illness, patients should seek proper medical evaluation and laboratory testing before taking antibiotics.

While acknowledging that the cost of medical consultations and laboratory investigations discourages many Nigerians from seeking proper healthcare, Oga-Omenka maintained that accurate diagnosis remains essential for effective treatment and slowing the spread of drug-resistant infections.

According to her, Nigerian health regulations do not classify antibiotics as over-the-counter medicines, despite widespread violations. She pointed out that Nigeria’s first AMR National Action Plan (2017-2022) achieved only 44 per cent implementation, revealing persistent gaps in coordination.

She called on government agencies to strengthen enforcement of existing regulations while urging healthcare providers, policymakers, the media and citizens to work together to promote responsible antibiotic use and reduce the growing burden of antimicrobial resistance in Nigeria.

Also, an Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Communicable Diseases Epidemiology, Dr Giorgia Sulis, explained that antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria and other disease-causing microorganisms evolve to survive medicines that once killed them, making infections harder and, in some cases, impossible to treat.

She said studies found that 20 per cent of AMR-related deaths occurred among children under five, with the highest burden in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sulis added that global estimates show antimicrobial resistance was associated with about 4.95 million deaths worldwide in 2019, including approximately 1.27 million deaths directly attributable to bacterial resistance.

She said Nigeria is facing a growing public health crisis, as studies show AMR was associated with an estimated 227,000 deaths in 2021, including about 50,000 deaths directly caused by drug-resistant infections.

Sulis observed that Nigeria ranks among the countries most affected by antimicrobial resistance, stressing that the country’s reported figures are likely an underestimate due to limited diagnostic capacity, weak surveillance systems and underreporting of resistant infections.

She noted that although Nigeria launched its first National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance in 2017 and has since updated its strategy, stronger surveillance, responsible antibiotic use, improved sanitation and increased public awareness remain critical to curbing the spread of resistant infections.

Earlier, the founding Chairperson of the Nigeria AMR Media Alliance (NAMA), Ojoma Akor, lamented that despite the enormity of the challenge, antimicrobial resistance remains underreported in Nigeria, with many citizens unaware of how the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans, animals and agriculture contribute to the growing crisis.

She underscored the indispensable role of the media in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, saying: “Through accurate, evidence-based and compelling reporting, we can help shape public understanding, influence policy discussions, promote responsible antibiotic use, and amplify the voices of experts and communities affected by antimicrobial resistance.”