Critical Evaluation of Nigeria’s National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance: Implementation Gaps and Policy Recommendations for the Veterinary Sector

Nigeria's National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, launched in 2017 and renewed in 2022, provides a policy framework for addressing antimicrobial resistance across human, animal, and environmental sectors, but rigorous evaluation of its veterinary component has not been conducted. This study critically evaluated the implementation progress, gaps, and policy effectiveness of Nigeria's National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance specifically regarding the veterinary sector over the period 2017 to 2024. A comprehensive policy evaluation framework incorporating process, outcome, and equity dimensions was employed. National and international policy documents were analyzed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 key informants including federal government officials, state veterinary directors, international technical partners, and civil society representatives. Budget execution data and program activity reports were obtained through freedom of information requests and institutional partnerships. Progress against veterinary sector milestones was rated using a standardized achievement scoring tool. Of 26 veterinary sector targets in the National Action Plan, 19.2% were fully achieved, 38.5% were partially achieved, and 42.3% showed no documented progress. Key gaps included absence of farm-level antimicrobial use monitoring, failure to launch the national livestock antimicrobial resistance surveillance program, and non-implementation of antimicrobial prescription requirements. Equity analysis showed that northern states had lower implementation rates than southern states. The study provides the most comprehensive independent evaluation of Nigeria's veterinary antimicrobial resistance policy to date and contributes an evidence-based policy reform agenda including legislative priority areas, implementation financing mechanisms, and accountability frameworks. Keywords: National Action Plan, antimicrobial resistance, policy evaluation, veterinary sector, Nigeria