(DDM) – Nigeria’s HIV response faces a critical turning point as the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), civil society groups, and other stakeholders call for urgent domestic action amid shrinking foreign aid.
The call came on Tuesday during the opening of the Seventh National Council on AIDS (NCA) meeting in Lagos, the country’s highest policy-making platform for HIV/AIDS response.
Dr. Temitope Ilori, NACA’s Director-General, described the gathering as a pivotal moment for reflection, realignment, and renewed commitment to sustainability in HIV interventions.
She noted that global aid dynamics are shifting, making it essential for Nigeria to build local capacity, strengthen state-level health systems, and encourage multi-sectoral partnerships to ensure uninterrupted services for HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria.
Ilori disclosed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has already released $200 million to address urgent gaps caused by the suspension of certain donor programmes.
According to her, Nigeria is piloting a National HIV, TB, and Malaria Sustainability Plan in seven states, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Anambra, Gombe, Kwara, Kaduna, and Lagos, with support from UNAIDS and the Global Fund.
She warned that more domestic funding is needed to close the financial gap, as international sponsorships have dropped significantly.
DDM gathered that Ilori urged stakeholders to embrace innovation, adopt new technologies, and deepen partnerships to drive towards an AIDS-free Nigeria.
Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, wife of the Lagos State Governor, reaffirmed Lagos’s commitment to ending HIV as a public health threat.
She emphasised that the state views HIV not only as a medical issue but as a developmental challenge with far-reaching social and economic implications.
Sanwo-Olu said Lagos has adopted a multi-sectoral approach that includes education, economic empowerment, quality healthcare access, and targeted interventions for vulnerable groups, especially women, children, and adolescents.
Dr. Folakemi Animasahaun, CEO of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), stressed that resilient systems must be built now to withstand the eventual end of foreign assistance.
She called for a “national compact” anchored on local financing, community leadership, integrated services, data accountability, and the shared goal of ending AIDS by 2030.
Keynote speaker Dr. Iziaq Salako, represented by Prof. John Obafunwa of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, expressed optimism that the meeting would produce actionable strategies to achieve the 2030 elimination target.
Amobi Godwin Ogah, Chairman of the House Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Malaria Control, warned that over 70 percent of Nigeria’s HIV response funding comes from external sources, a dependency he described as unsustainable.
He urged a radical shift towards domestic resource mobilisation, integrating HIV care into primary healthcare, and improving access to diagnosis and treatment.
Ogah pledged legislative support for increased budgetary allocations, comprehensive healthcare, research, and strong partnerships necessary to secure Nigeria’s future in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
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