24/02/2026
As part of the close-out and sustainability phase of the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) programme, our team conducted field visits to health partnerships across Nigeria under the CwPAMS programme to engage institutional leadership and secure commitment to sustain AMS programmes beyond the funding cycle.
Funded by the UK Department of Health and Social Care’s Fleming Fund and jointly managed by Global Health Partnerships (formerly THET) and the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association, CwPAMS has strengthened AMR surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, and data generation to inform local, national, and global AMR action, with Ducit Blue Solutions serving as the local grant manager for Nigeria and Ghana.
The visiting team comprised our Ducit Blue Solutions (DBS) team, also representing Global Health Partnerships, Pharm. Estelle Onyekachi Mbadiwe (Founder, DBS & In-Country Consultant, GHP) and Justina Joshua-Eke, MAPH(Grants Manager, West Africa Health Partnerships), representative of the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association, Pharm. Mashood Lawal, and representatives of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Ridwan Yahaya and Mrs. Miriam Wampana.
The team visited five health partnerships: Lagos University Teaching Hospital; Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ogun State; University College Hospital, Ibadan, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State (UNTH), University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Cross River State; and Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (spoke site). Engagements were held with hospital management, AMS committees, spoke facilities, and State Health Management Boards to review governance, funding, and operational sustainability.
Facility leadership and AMS champions worked closely with AMS committee members, pharmacists, clinicians, and data managers to strengthen stewardship efforts. Key milestones included improved prescribing practices, sustained AMS and AMR reporting to NCDC, strengthened surveillance using WHONET, functional hub-and-spoke mentorship models, workforce capacity building, and student-led One Health initiatives. Leadership reaffirmed commitment to embedding AMS into routine clinical practice, academic training, and governance structures despite system-level challenges.
The team also met directly with the leadership of the Lagos State Health Service Commission (LSHSC), including Dr. Abimbola Mabagunje, Permanent Secretary; Dr. O. M. Adeotito, Director of Medical Services; and Pharm. Modupe Bakare, Director of Pharmaceutical Services, as well as the leadership of the Oyo State Health Management Board (OYSHMB), including Dr. Ibraheem, Permanent Secretary, and Busari Jamiu, Director of Personnel.
The sustainability visits demonstrated strong leadership buy-in, measurable AMS gains, and clear readiness to sustain and scale impact in alignment with Nigeria’s NAP 2.0 and shared accountability.
Joyce Ogboi
