Regulatory Gaps in the Control of Antimicrobial Use in Poultry Production in South West Nigeria

The unregulated use of antimicrobials in commercial poultry production contributes significantly to antimicrobial resistance, a growing threat to both veterinary and human medicine. This study identified regulatory gaps in the control of antimicrobial use in poultry production in South West Nigeria, covering Ogun, Oyo, and Osun States. A policy analysis framework combined with a stakeholder survey was applied. Relevant national and international regulatory instruments including the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance and the Codex Alimentarius Guidelines were reviewed. Surveys were administered to 60 commercial poultry producers, 20 veterinary pharmaceutical retailers, and 15 regulatory officials from NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, and state veterinary departments. Identified gaps included absence of antimicrobial use monitoring systems at the farm level, availability of prescription-only antibiotics over-the-counter at over 75% of surveyed retail outlets, inadequate farm inspection schedules, and absence of a harmonized poultry antimicrobial resistance surveillance program. Officials acknowledged that the National Veterinary Medicines Act did not have specific enforcement provisions for farm-level use. The study concludes that multiple regulatory gaps create permissive conditions for antimicrobial misuse in South West Nigerian poultry systems. Recommendations include legislative reform, strengthened NAFDAC-field partnership for enforcement, and inclusion of poultry farmers in national antimicrobial stewardship awareness programs. Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, regulatory gaps, poultry production, South West Nigeria, stewardship