Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae are clinically significant bacteria that cause hospital acquired infections worldwide, and resistance to carbapenems by these pathogens has been classified in the critical category by WHO. There is paucity of information on both pathogens in Nigeria, especially Acinetobacter baumannii, making it difficult to determine the resistance prevalence and public health impact of the bacteria. This study aimed at determining the resistance profile and epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) in Nigeria. Databases were searched using: PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and Google search engine for publications on CRAB and CRKP in Nigeria from 2014-2024. It was revealed that 55.6% of studies on these pathogens were from the South-West part of the country as compared to other geopolitical zones. The occurrence of A. baumannii in clinical samples was relatively low compared to K. pneumoniae. The overall prevalence of CRAB and CRKP was found to be high. The class of antibiotics to which A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae were resistant are those in the beta-lactam class while both pathogens showed a high sensitivity rate to the fluroquinolones. The two frequently identified resistance genes in A. baumannii isolates are blaOXA-51 and blaOXA-23 with most data reporting class B carbapenemase in K. pneumoniae. Conclusively, the incidence of CRAB and CRKP in Nigeria has increased over years and this is of great concern as these pathogens show multi-drug resistance. Thus, this study provides the current trends in resistance profile, which can serve as a starting point for further monitoring studies.
