The Sokoto State Government has been urged to fully take ownership of HIV programmes by providing health kits, drugs, and other essential commodities to ensure uninterrupted treatment for people living with HIV in the state.
The State Coordinator of the Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN), Muhammad Garba, made the call during a HIV sensitization programme for students of Federal Government College (FGC) Sokoto.
The event, held to commemorate the 2025 World AIDS Day, was organized by CiSHAN in collaboration with BUA Cement Company, in Sokoto.
Garba noted that the global HIV response has suffered major setbacks following the directive by the current U.S. administration earlier this year to terminate USAID, a development he said significantly affected HIV funding worldwide.
According to him, Nigeria, which relies almost entirely on international donor support for HIV response, has been particularly affected.
“More than 5,000 people living with HIV in Sokoto depend on continuous access to treatment and healthcare services. The state government must step in by providing test kits, drugs, and other medical supplies to avert treatment disruption,” he said.
He also urged the government to strengthen preventive services and intensify public awareness efforts through radio and other media platforms, stressing that HIV “still exists and continues to spread.”
Garba said the campaign was brought to FGC because recent data shows that about 4,000 adolescent and young girls are infected with the virus worldwide, with 3,000 of those infections occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, where Nigeria remains one of the most affected countries.
“This is why it is important to target young people because they are among the most vulnerable,” he added.
Garba commended Governor Ahmad Aliyu for approving ₦6 million last year for the purchase of health kits, calling on the governor to approve a pending memo to enable continuous provision of HIV services across the state.
Speaking on behalf of the students, Onoh Eucharist Chinenye thanked CiSHAN and its partners for the sensitization programme and expressed hope that such initiatives would be sustained because of their importance to students.
