Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said it would provide technical support and funding to Nigeria to deal with the threats of antimicrobial resistance.
The FAO Country Representative in Nigeria Mr Suffyan Koroma stated this yesterday at the ARM Assessment and Associated Legislation in West Africa stakeholders workshop in Abuja.
He said that the antimicrobial resistance was a global threat to human and animal health adding that “it endangers modern human and veterinary medicine as well as undermines the safety of our food and environment.”
He worried that the misuse of antibiotics in agriculture contributes to the spreads of antimicrobial resistance and undermines the efficacy of veterinary and human medicines.
Mr Koroma described the current AMR situation as “a crisis” adding that “it is one of the major threats to public health in this generation as gripping evidence shows that the total volume of antibiotics used, also in food production drives resistance.”
He said FAO would provide support to the federal government, producers, traders and other stakeholders to adopt measures to minimize the use of antimicrobials while been sensitive to the needs of the food and agriculture sector.
In his speech, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammed Bello Umar said the federal government was working closely with other international bodies to fashion out the best means of tackling the menace in the country.
He added that the country response mechanism would be integrated into the Ruga system of cattle rearing recently launched by the federal government and is due to be implemented in 12 states.
