Increased animal intensification has led to increased antimicrobial usage (AMU) with consequent antimicrobial resistance (AMR) development. This study assess farmers’ practices regarding AMU in beef cattle farms, explore pathways for AMR dissemination, establish risk status of AMU, and determine residues presence. We hypothesized socio-economic factors not to drive antimicrobial misuse and resistance emergence in beef production systems. Cross-sectional study was conducted on randomly selected beef farms in Northern Nigeria between 2018 and 2019. Traffic Light model was used to assess farms’ AMU risk status. Disc Diffusion Test was performed to detect residues in cattle urine. Descriptive and multivariable logistic regressions analyses were performed at 95% confidence level. Of 660 beef cattle farmers selected, 92.1% (n=608) participated in the study. About 78.9% intensive and 76.6% semi-intensive farmers do not followed instructions on antimicrobial dosage. Also, 72.4% of intensive and 83.9.6% semi-intensive farmers do not observed withdrawal period after AMU on animals. Majorities of intensive (71.5%) and semi-intensive (53.2%) farmers used antimicrobials as growth promoters on beef production. Significantly used antimicrobials on beef cattle were: tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and penicillin. Pathways for AMR spread from beef animals were: consumption of contaminated meat (p=0.007); contacts with contaminated animals and fomites (p<0.001); and contaminated manure and aerosols in environment (p=0.003) Factors that significantly drive antimicrobials misuse and resistance emergence were: inappropriate AMU (OR=2.72; 95% CI:1.93-3.83), non-enforcement of laws (OR=2.98; 95% CI:2.11-4.21), low education and expertise (OR=1.52; 95% CI:1.09-2.12), and management system (OR=10.24; 95% CI:6.75-15.54). Traffic Light model has shown 63.6% intensive and 57.63% semi-intensive farms to be in Class 3 (Red risk) status. Antimicrobial residues were in 48.4% intensively managed and 34.4% semi-intensive farms. The study revealed low practices towards AMU in beef cattle productions. Adequate sanitation and biosecurity, and application of ‘One Health’ will mitigate AMR at animal-human-environment interface.