World Animal Protection (WAP) has raised alarm that antibiotic resistance could claim as many as 10 million lives globally each year by 2050 if urgent action is not taken.
The warning was issued by WAP’s Research and Planning Manager, Dr. Patrick Mvinde, during a journalists’ workshop in Abuja on Thursday, organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) under the theme “Implication of Industrial Animal Farming in Nigeria.”
Mvinde revealed that 1.27 million people already die annually from infections untreatable with antibiotics, linking the trend to intensive animal farming practices.
He explained that nearly 75 percent of the 80 billion animals reared globally—mainly chickens, pigs, and cattle—are kept in overcrowded, highly controlled systems.
Such conditions, he said, cause stress, deformities, and movement problems, while genetic selection forces broilers to reach market weight in as little as 40 days, straining vital organs and leading to severe joint pains.
According to him, almost three-quarters of all antibiotics used worldwide are consumed in farming, especially industrial production, with residues from these farms contaminating food and the environment.
This, he warned, fuels resistance in humans. He also pointed to zoonotic diseases such as avian influenza, swine flu, and COVID-19 as consequences of factory farming, stressing the need to support smallholder farmers to enhance food security and protect public health.
Also speaking, Mr. Mayowa Shobo, Programme Manager at HEDA Resource Centre, warned about the rapid expansion of industrial farming in Africa.
He cited a study conducted across five Nigerian states that highlighted negative impacts on health, the environment, and the socio-cultural fabric of host communities.
Shobo noted that industrial farms often clear large tracts of land, worsening climate change. While they generate some jobs, he said, the opportunities are few, poorly paid, and often exclude women and vulnerable groups.
He further lamented that land-use decisions are frequently made without genuine consultation, leaving communities disempowered and their grievances unresolved.
He urged government to strengthen investment in health facilities, flood control, and early warning systems, while safeguarding smallholder farmers through access to seeds, inputs, and secure land rights.
