Consultant clinical microbiologist and head of the department of medical microbiology and parasitology at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Dr. Mary Alex-Wele, has raised the alarm over Nigeria’s escalating antibiotic resistance crisis, warning that it poses a severe threat to public health.
Speaking in an interview in Abuja, Alex-Wele, who also serves as chairperson of Nigeria’s Core Group for Policy Briefs Development Steering Committee under WHO RADAAR’s Evidence-Informed Policy Network (EVIPNet), cautioned that the country risks running out of effective treatments for common infections due to increasing antibiotic resistance.
She cited data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which estimates that 700,000 people globally die from drug-resistant infections each year – a figure projected to rise to 10 million by 2050 if urgent action is not taken. She attributed Nigeria’s growing crisis to misinformation and misuse of antibiotics, pointing to a recent WHO multi-country survey that revealed widespread misconceptions fueling the problem.
According to Alex-Wele, many Nigerians wrongly assume that antibiotics can treat viral infections such as colds and flu, leading to unnecessary prescriptions and rampant self-medication. She noted that nearly 70 per cent of respondents in some low-income countries, including Nigeria, admitted to using antibiotics in the past month – often without a prescription.
The consequences of this reckless antibiotic use are already manifesting in Nigeria’s hospitals, where drug-resistant infections are becoming alarmingly common. She reported a troubling rise in multi-drug-resistant bacteria, making once-treatable infections increasingly difficult to manage. In particular, drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea and tuberculosis are spreading at an alarming rate, significantly complicating treatment options and driving up healthcare costs.
Alex-Wele explained that more patients are being admitted with severe infections that no longer respond to standard antibiotics. Simple conditions such as urinary tract infections and pneumonia are now leading to dangerous complications because first-line antibiotics fail to work. She emphasised that without immediate action, routine infections could once again become life-threatening, reversing decades of progress in modern medicine.
One of the primary drivers of antibiotic resistance in Nigeria, she said, is the uncontrolled sale of antibiotics without prescriptions. Many Nigerians purchase these drugs over the counter from pharmacies and unregulated street vendors, often using them wrong or in inappropriate doses. She stressed the importance of using antibiotics only when prescribed by a qualified doctor and completing the full course of treatment. Failing to do so, she warned, allows bacteria to adapt and develop resistance, making future infections harder to treat.
In response to the growing crisis, she acknowledged that the Nigerian government has launched the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, which aims to improve antibiotic stewardship and strengthen regulations. However, she pointed out that enforcement remains weak, allowing the indiscriminate sale and misuse of antibiotics to persist.
Calling for more decisive action, she urged the government to implement stricter regulations on antibiotic sales, enhance public awareness campaigns and invest in better diagnostic facilities to ensure that antibiotics are prescribed and used appropriately. She also emphasised the need for greater collaboration between healthcare professionals, policymakers and the general public in tackling the issue.
Alex-Wele encouraged Nigerians to join the global fight against antibiotic resistance in line with WHO’s “Antibiotic Guardian” campaign, which urges individuals to take personal responsibility by using antibiotics only as prescribed and following medical advice. She warned that if immediate measures are not taken, Nigeria’s healthcare system could face an even deeper crisis, where common infections become untreatable and hospital-acquired infections become a leading cause of death.
She concluded by urging Nigerians to stop self-medicating, complete all prescribed antibiotic courses and demand stronger policies to regulate antibiotic use. The battle against antibiotic resistance, she emphasised, is not just the responsibility of doctors and policymakers – but a collective fight that every citizen must take seriously.
