Theoretical Frameworks for One Health Governance in Multi-Sectoral Zoonotic Disease Control in Nigeria

One Health governance in Nigeria remains theoretically underdeveloped, hindering the design of effective institutional frameworks for multi-sectoral zoonotic disease control. This study critically examined existing theoretical frameworks for One Health governance and proposed an adapted model appropriate for Nigeria's federal structure, institutional fragmentation, and resource constraints. A systematic review of global One Health governance literature published between 2019 and 2024 was conducted using PRISMA guidelines, supplemented by 40 in-depth interviews with federal and state-level policymakers across human, animal, and environmental health sectors. Institutional theory, complex adaptive systems theory, and political economy analysis were used as analytical lenses. The review identified that collaborative governance, ecosystem health, and ecohealth frameworks have been the dominant paradigms globally, but their application in low-resource African settings lacks contextual adaptation. Interview data revealed deep silos between the Federal Ministries of Health and Agriculture, absence of a formal One Health coordination body, and pervasive competition for international donor funding as drivers of fragmentation. An adapted Nigerian One Health governance framework is proposed incorporating federal coordination councils, subnational technical working groups, shared surveillance infrastructure, and domestically funded operational plans. The study concludes that theoretical and institutional reform are prerequisites for functional One Health practice in Nigeria. It contributes original theoretical adaptation work to the global One Health governance literature, with direct policy implications for the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance and the Nigeria One Health Strategic Plan. Keywords: One Health governance, theoretical framework, Nigeria, intersectoral coordination, zoonotic disease