Nigeria will host the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance in Abuja from 6–8 December 2026—the first on African soil—under the theme “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitments to Local Action,” aiming to convert past declarations into measurable results.

Officials cite 1.27 million global deaths directly attributable to bacterial AMR in 2019 (including an estimated 64,500 in Nigeria) and warn of more than 39 million such deaths by 2050, underscoring the need for coordinated action across human health, agriculture, livestock and the environment.

The government is advancing antimicrobial stewardship, surveillance, laboratory capacity and domestic medicine production, and expects the conference to adopt an Abuja Compact that will be tracked for accountability and local implementation.

Nigeria is preparing to take centre-stage in the global fight against drug resistance or antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with the Federal Government of Nigeria pledging a coordinated, cross-sectoral response to AMR. AMR is a growing public health threat that could make routine infections harder to treat, increase the risks associated with surgery and childbirth, and place additional pressure on already stretched healthcare systems.

The country will host the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance in Abuja from 6th to 8th December 2026, the first time the international gathering will be held on African soil. Under the theme, “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitments to Local Action”, the conference is expected to bring governments and stakeholders together to accelerate interventions, strengthen international cooperation and translate existing political commitments into measurable results. This is hosted by Nigerian government along with the Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has described the conference as an opportunity to move beyond declarations towards practical action, with the government seeking stronger surveillance, responsible antimicrobial use, improved laboratory capacity and greater domestic production of essential medicines.

Pate said AMR was among the gravest threats facing global health, requiring a coordinated response across government and society. The government’s ambition is to use the Abuja gathering not only to advance Nigeria’s domestic response but also to demonstrate how African countries can work together to tackle a threat........

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