The World Animal Protection (WAP) has raised alarm that antibiotic-resistant infections are already claiming about 1.27 million lives yearly, with the figure projected to rise to 10 million annually by 2050 if urgent action is not taken.
Patrick Mvinde, WAP’s Research and Planning Manager, made the disclosure in Abuja during a media workshop on “Implication of Industrial Animal Farming in Nigeria” convened by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF).
Mvinde attributed the trend to industrial animal farming, where animals are confined in overcrowded and highly controlled environments.
He explained that about 75% of the 80 billion animals reared globally, mainly chickens, pigs and cattle, are raised under such intensive systems, which he said compromise both animal welfare and human health.
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He noted that three-quarters of all antibiotics produced worldwide are used in farming, particularly in factory-style operations, and that residues from these drugs enter the food chain and the environment, fuelling antibiotic resistance in humans.
Mvinde highlighted that these practices not only cause animal suffering but also heighten the risk of zoonotic diseases such as Avian Influenza, Swine Flu, and even outbreaks like COVID-19.
World Health Organisation (WHO) identify zoonotic disease as an infectious disease that jumps from a non-human animals to humans. It is transmitted through food, water and environment
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/zoonoses
The researcher urged governments to shift support from industrial livestock systems to smallholder farmers, emphasising that local production offers safer, more sustainable food systems.
Also speaking, Programme Manager at HEDA Resource Centre, Mr Mayowa Shobo, warned against the spread of global industrial farming models into Africa.
Citing a study conducted across five Nigerian states, he said industrial farms degrade ecosystems, undermine community rights, and offer poor-quality jobs with low wages, says Businessday report
Shobo further stressed that large-scale land acquisitions for industrial farms often sideline women and vulnerable groups, while leaving communities with little say in decisions affecting their livelihoods.
The programme manager of HEDA Resource Centre called on government to prioritise investments in health facilities, flood control, early warning systems and support for smallholder farmers through access to seeds and farm inputs.
