Nigeria Tightens Antimicrobial Surveillance as Poor Data Threatens Public Health
Chukwu Obinna 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigerian health authorities are rolling out a national quality assurance framework to fix weaknesses in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance, warning that unreliable laboratory data could undermine public health decision-making.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says it is developing an External Quality Assessment (EQA) system to standardise laboratory testing across human and animal health networks, following revelations of widespread inconsistencies.
Speaking at a national technical workshop on International Health Regulations compliance, Ridwan Yahaya, antimicrobial stewardship manager at the NCDC, says gaps in laboratory standards — particularly in privately operated facilities — are compromising the credibility of AMR data.
“This is critical to strengthening the national AMR surveillance programme and ensuring the quality of data being produced,” Mr Yahaya says.
According to the agency, Nigeria’s National Reference Laboratory currently lacks the capacity to independently verify results from its sentinel surveillance sites, prompting plans to commission specialist expertise to design national EQA protocols.
Mr Yahaya confirms that a series of technical consultations will precede the adoption of the new framework, which will also extend to animal health laboratories under a unified One Health approach.
“A similar EQA framework will be developed for the animal health sector to support quality and standardisation across surveillance sites,” he says.
Under the One Health model, samples from humans, livestock and the environment are analysed together to track resistance patterns and pathogen transmission, including ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and other priority organisms.
Pilot sites are already generating integrated datasets, with full evaluation activities scheduled for completion in 2025. Authorities say harmonised protocols across sectors will improve early detection, response planning and global reporting compliance.
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