Nigeria, Denmark push One Health to tackle AMR, food safety, climate threats

By Chioma Obinna

Nigeria has stepped up efforts to confront antimicrobial resistance (AMR), food safety risks and the growing impact of climate change on agriculture through a strengthened One Health approach.

One Health Agenda brings together the animal, human, and environmental sectors.

At a workshop themed “Strengthening AMR Surveillance, Biosafety and Climate-Smart Agriculture Through a One Health Approach in Nigeria,” experts, policymakers and members of the DAN-NG Alumni Community said the country must adopt evidence-driven and integrated solutions to protect public health and secure the future of food systems.

The programme, supported by the Danida Fellowship Centre (DFC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, aligned with global Sustainable Development Goals and the DFC guiding principle: Inspire, Connect, Act.

Speaking, Coordinator of DAN-NG and Chief Regulatory Officer at NAFDAC, Hajita Sidikat Kamal, said the workshop underscored Nigeria’s urgent need to build resilience across the livestock and public-health value chain.

“This workshop brought together the best minds across government, academia and regulatory agencies because the threats we face are interconnected,” she said. “AMR, climate change and food safety challenges do not respect sector boundaries. Our solutions cannot be fragmented.”

Kamal said the programme focused on improving ethical animal husbandry, modernising feed management, strengthening traceability systems, enhancing disease surveillance and promoting responsible use of veterinary medicines.

“We must promote responsible antibiotic use, strengthen surveillance and build systems that prevent contamination from farm to table. Climate-smart livestock systems are no longer optional; they are essential for food security,” she added.

Representatives from NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security joined veterinarians, farmers and food-safety professionals to examine risks across the livestock value chain.

A key component was capacity-building to support what organisers described as “resilient, modern livestock systems” capable of withstanding climate pressures and emerging diseases.

Participants noted that the 2025 year’s global AMR theme, Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future 2025, was a reminder that antimicrobial resistance and climate change are cross-cutting threats that undermine vaccines, food safety, agricultural productivity and public health.

“Climate change is driving the spread of diseases such as yellow fever by expanding vector ranges and disrupting immunisation services,” Kamal noted. “Lower-income countries, particularly those under humanitarian stress, are the most vulnerable.”

Nigeria’s cooperation with Denmark under the Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC), established in 2020, has continued to expand. Officials said more than 44 joint projects have strengthened livestock production, improved animal-health systems and advanced sustainable agriculture nationwide.

Kamal described the workshop as a platform for learning, collaboration and practical action.

“The knowledge generated here must ripple outward,” she said. “It should inform policy, strengthen communities and advance climate-smart, One Health-aligned agriculture across Nigeria.”

She invoked an African proverb to underscore the need for collective effort: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

“Today, we came together to go far,” she added. “This workshop has inspired, connected and empowered us to act for the future of food safety, public health and environmental sustainability.”

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