By Ojoma Akor
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has enjoined Nigerians to support the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in achieving an HIV-free Nigeria by 2030.
She made the call in Abuja during the World AIDS Day commemoration organized by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) in collaboration with other partners.
This year’s commemoration is themed “Overcoming Disruptions, Sustaining Nigeria’s HIV Response.”
She said, “In recent times, Nigeria has made remarkable progress in HIV prevention, treatment, and care, yet we must not relent until everyone in need has access to life-saving services. Ending the epidemic requires sustained advocacy, and that is where I come in.”
She said the country is moving steadily towards the global target of eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis by 2030 through efficient use of resources and integrated health care services for women and children.
The First Lady said, however, that Nigeria’s HIV response remains largely donor-funded. She said that as global funding patterns shift, stakeholders must ensure sustainability to prevent disruptions to critical services.
Senator Oluremi said the federal government has proactively approved the disbursement of $200 million to support the HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Program, adding, ” NACA has also initiated engagements with state governments to ensure long-term ownership continuity of the national response. ”
She further said that in the past year, the national focus has been on eliminating vertical transmission, expanding pediatrics, HIV treatment coverage, and strengthening the local sustainability of the HIV response.
“I am pleased to learn that with the support from the Global Fund, the National AIDS and STD Control Program (NASCAP) has recorded significant progress. This year, in partnership with the Organization of African First Ladies for Development, the Free to Shine campaign was launched across all six geopolitical zones in Nigeria,” she added.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziak Adekunle Salako, said Nigeria has remained steadfast in protecting the gains of the past and making further progress under the current administration, despite global challenges such as economic pressures, the dwindling of overseas development assistance, conflicts, and supply chain disruptions.
He said that Nigeria has recorded significant achievements across the HIV continuum, especially in ensuring access to life-saving Anti-retroviral therapy. (ART), including pediatric formulations.
“We have surpassed UNAIDS target by putting 98% of Nigerian people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) on treatment, met the second target of 95% viral suppression, and are on the way to ensuring that at least 95% of Nigerians with HIV know their status,” he said.
He also said Nigeria was making significant progress in HIV prevention strategies, scaling up awareness campaigns, ensuring pre-exposure prophylaxis expansion by providing diverse options, including long-acting formulary in hundreds of facilities nationwide to reach adolescents, key populations, sero-discordant couples, and individuals at higher risk.
Dr Salako said PLWHAs are now being provided with access to annual liver and kidney function tests through expanded health insurance coverage.
He said recently at the 66th National Council on Health (NCH), the consent age for voluntary HIV counselling and testing was reduced from 18 to 14 years in line with international best practice relevant to our context.
The minister said this measure is designed to increase testing among adolescents, leading to earlier diagnosis, better access to care, and reduced transmission.
He said the NCH also approved the institutionalization of the National Clinical Mentorship Programme (NCMP) within the country’s health system and advised State Ministries of Health (SMoH) to integrate clinical mentorship activities into their annual operational plans and budgets.
He called on all stakeholders: states, partners, civil society, communities, and the private sector to strengthen collaboration, scale innovation, and accelerate the march toward the 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.
The Director General of NACA, Dr. Temitope Ilori, said that HIV prevalence among adults aged 15–49 stands at 1.3%, down from 2.8% in previous years, with approximately 1.9 million Nigerians living with HIV.
She said prevention campaigns, expanded testing, and treatment scale-up have ensured that more Nigerians live healthy and productive lives.
The NACA DG said Nigeria has continued to record essential achievements in its HIV response.
” We have maintained an impressive 87–98–95 performance toward the global 95–95–95 targets, demonstrating significant progress in diagnosis, treatment coverage, and viral suppression across the country:
-87% of people living with HIV in Nigeria know their status
-98% of those who know their status are on life-saving treatment
-95% of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression—meaning they cannot transmit HIV in the last decade,” she said.
She highlighted that Nigeria has recorded a 46% decline in new HIV infections, and that more Nigerians living with HIV are enrolled and retained in care than ever before.
She said in 2024, 5,189,353 pregnant women were tested for HIV, with 26,566 testing positive and immediately placed on antiretroviral treatment. Additionally, 23,561 HIV-exposed babies received Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) within two months of birth.
“While we celebrate these gains, we acknowledge that challenges remain. Our HIV Testing Services (HTS) coverage among pregnant women stands at 65%, national Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) coverage at 63%, and Early Infant Diagnosis coverage at 56%. We are working tirelessly to close these gaps. Importantly, 100% of pregnant women tested for syphilis in the last year received treatment, and 13% of pregnant women were tested for Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), demonstrating our commitment to comprehensive maternal health,” she added.
Dr Ilori also said the country has witnessed the evolution of HIV treatment—from the early days when multiple pills were required daily, to single-pill regimens, to long-acting injectables, and now to the latest breakthrough: a twice-yearly injection to prevent HIV.
She thanked the Global Fund, whose recent Eighth Replenishment conference generated pledges of USD $11.34 billion saying it demonstrates sustained global commitment to the HIV response.
” Additionally, developments in the latter half of 2025 offer hope for sustaining critical international financing, as the United States released its new America First Global Health Strategy, establishing bilateral agreements with around 70 countries to continue funding during a progressive transfer to self-reliant national HIV responses over the next two to five years,” she said.
