THUR JULY 16 2026-theGBJournal| Nigeria has concluded a 10-year review of its antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance system, finding that while the country’s capacity to monitor drug-resistant infections has improved significantly, major gaps in geographic coverage and diagnostic capability continue to hinder efforts to contain one of the world’s fastest-growing public health threats.
The review is expected to shape the next phase of Nigeria’s strategy to strengthen surveillance, improve antibiotic stewardship and expand laboratory capacity nationwide.
The findings were presented during a two-day stakeholder dialogue held in Abuja on July 9–10, convened by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) AMR Division under the NiCaDe Project in collaboration with the Robert Koch Institute.
The meeting focused on strengthening Nigeria’s Hub-and-Spoke model for AMR surveillance, improving diagnostic stewardship and promoting the appropriate use of antimicrobials.
A review of surveillance data collected over the past decade showed that Nigeria’s AMR monitoring system has expanded steadily, with improvements in the quality and reliability of data generated by participating laboratories.
However, the assessment also confirmed that drug-resistant infections remain a significant public health challenge, underscoring the need for sustained investment in surveillance and infection control.
Stakeholders noted that surveillance coverage remains uneven, with several parts of the country still underrepresented in the national network.
Closing these gaps is seen as critical to generating a more accurate picture of antimicrobial resistance trends and informing evidence-based policy decisions.
Teaching hospitals, including Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), shared experiences implementing the Hub-and-Spoke model.
They highlighted how mentorship programmes and multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship teams have helped extend surveillance and diagnostic capacity beyond tertiary healthcare institutions to lower-level facilities.
The dialogue concluded with the adoption of a roadmap, stakeholder commitments and an action matrix to guide the next phase of Nigeria’s AMR response.
The review reinforces the importance of surveillance in combating antimicrobial resistance, as health authorities seek to better understand the spread of drug-resistant infections and ensure antibiotics remain effective for future generations.
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