Fleming Fund Country Grant for Nigeria Phase 2

Strengthening Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance in Nigeria

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens public health by making lifesaving medicines less effective and infections harder to treat. Strong surveillance systems are essential to detect emerging resistance, guide the appropriate use of antimicrobials, and give governments the evidence they need to respond.

From 2024 to 2026, with support from the UK Department of Health and Social Care, MSH implemented Phase 2 of the Fleming Fund Country Grant for Nigeria, working with Nigerian ministries, laboratories, and other partners to strengthen the country’s One Health approach to AMR surveillance across human, animal, agricultural, and environmental sectors.

Building on an earlier phase of Fleming Fund support, the program strengthened four interconnected areas of Nigeria’s One Health surveillance system:

Producing quality AMR data: Strengthened laboratory capacity, infrastructure, and standardized protocols to improve the quality and reliability of resistance data across sectors.
Turning data into evidence: Built national and facility-level capacity to analyze surveillance data and translate findings into insights for clinical practice, policy, and intervention.
Getting evidence to decision-makers: Strengthened the reporting and use of AMR data by government institutions, health facilities, and other stakeholders.
Planning for sustainability: Generated evidence and financing approaches to help embed AMR surveillance and diagnostics within national systems and strengthen long-term country ownership.

The program also expanded Nigeria’s One Health evidence base beyond traditional surveillance, including work on antimicrobial use and resistance in the environmental and agricultural sectors.

By connecting stronger laboratories and surveillance with data use, policy, and sustainable financing, the partnership helped build national capabilities that can continue to support Nigeria’s response to AMR beyond the life of the grant.