‘Nigeria Must Lead Its HIV Fight,’ Sanwo-Olu Declares

Stakeholders have urged legislatures to prioritise the passage and implementation of laws that ensure sustained HIV funding, alongside legislation aimed at ending stigma and promoting inclusive service delivery for people living with the virus.

According to iReporter Online, this appeal was made at the closing ceremony of the 7th National Council on AIDS (NCA) in Lagos, emphasizing the importance of collective action and the translation of the meeting’s resolutions into tangible outcomes.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, highlighted the need for Nigeria to take full ownership of its HIV programmes by shifting from donor dependency to sustainable, homegrown solutions.

According to iReporter Online, he stressed that the country must transition from fragmented responses to coordinated systems and from ad hoc interventions to long-term strategic planning.

Represented by Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Sanwo-Olu cited the HIV Trust Fund, reforms to the HIV Anti-Stigma Law, and integration of HIV services into broader health systems as evidence of Lagos State’s commitment to dignity, inclusion, and justice.

He urged stakeholders to convert the council’s resolutions into actionable policies with real-life impact.

Chairman of the House Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Malaria Control, Amobi Ogah, also underscored the need for domestic resource mobilisation to sustain Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS response amid evolving global aid policies.

He noted that over 70 per cent of the country’s HIV funding currently comes from external sources and reaffirmed parliament’s commitment to increased budgetary allocations and legislative support for prevention, treatment, research, and anti-stigma initiatives.

Ogah also raised concerns about the rising prevalence of other infectious and non-communicable diseases among people living with HIV, calling for stronger integration of HIV care into primary healthcare services.

He highlighted that Nigeria requires about $8 billion annually to sustain its fight, commending the federal government for approving $200 million to address funding gaps following the suspension of US aid.

He added that a multi-sectoral meeting on domestic financing for public health threats would take place in Abuja from August 11 to 12, 2025.

Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Temitope Ilori, reaffirmed the council’s role as Nigeria’s highest policy-making and coordinating platform for HIV/AIDS.

According to iReporter Online, she stated that the three-day meeting, themed “Advancing National HIV Sustainability Agenda in the Changing Global Policy on Aid,” highlighted the need for innovation and domestic capacity-building in response to shifting international funding trends.

Ilori said that the decisions reached included boosting national and subnational ownership through increased domestic funding, strengthening mandated government structures as responsibilities transition from implementing partners, and fostering multi-sectoral collaboration to address socio-economic drivers of HIV.

She urged accelerated implementation of the National HIV, TB, and Malaria Sustainability Plan to ensure universal access to prevention, treatment, and support services, while commending Lagos State for its hospitality and leadership in the health sector.

The council, in its communique, called on all tiers of government, relevant agencies, and partners to treat the development of an integrated HIV response not merely as a reaction to global aid policy changes, but as a conscious, existential priority.

This, it said, must involve increased domestic funding, strengthened subnational structures, and innovative approaches to guarantee long-term sustainability of integrated HIV prevention, treatment, and care services.

The council declared that the time for a self-reliant and resilient national HIV response is now, noting that the success of the Lagos meeting demonstrated what could be achieved through collective resolve and unwavering commitment.

It praised the Lagos State Government, through the Lagos AIDS Control Agency (LSACA), describing it as an inspiration and benchmark for collective action, and urged all stakeholders to translate the meeting’s resolutions into tangible outcomes.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”