The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving the global target of ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, as Nigeria joins the international community to mark the 2025 World AIDS Day.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, gave the assurance on Monday at the State House during the national commemoration themed “Overcoming Disruptions; Sustaining Nigeria’s HIV Response.”
The event was organized in collaboration with the First Lady’s Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
Salako said the government had introduced several programmes and invested more than N300 billion to strengthen the national HIV response and support health agencies across the country.
He added that Nigeria had increased domestic funding for HIV interventions to reduce reliance on external support, noting that expanded local production of antiretroviral drugs and test kits had boosted national self-sufficiency and long-term sustainability.
According to the minister, HIV testing, counseling and treatment coverage have continued to expand, with about 1.6 million Nigerians currently on antiretroviral therapy out of an estimated 1.9 million people living with the virus nationwide.
It was recalled that the Federal Government in 2024 launched the Free to Shine Campaign, championed by the First Lady, to eliminate HIV, syphilis and tuberculosis, particularly through the prevention of mother-to-child transmission.
Despite the absence of a cure or vaccine, Nigeria aims to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 by transitioning HIV into a manageable, endemic condition through sustained treatment and prevention efforts.
In her remarks, the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, said the country had recorded significant progress in HIV prevention, treatment and care.
She urged continued commitment to ensure all Nigerians in need accessed lifesaving services, adding that eliminating AIDS required compassion, innovation and continuous advocacy.
She stressed the need to tackle persistent stigma and discrimination, saying every Nigerian deserved dignity and non-judgmental access to healthcare.
Mrs. Tinubu noted that national efforts over the past year focused on eliminating vertical transmission, expanding paediatric HIV treatment and improving local sustainability of the HIV response in all states.
She commended the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; the National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Programme (NASCP); and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) for their continued support.
She added that the Federal Ministry of Health had played a crucial role in advancing national progress.
The First Lady said that, in partnership with the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), the Free to Shine Campaign had expanded across all six geopolitical zones, promoting the elimination of HIV, hepatitis and syphilis among mothers and children, strengthening early testing, treatment access and preventive healthcare services nationwide.
She, however, warned that Nigeria’s HIV response remained heavily donor-funded despite shifting global financing trends.
She called for increased domestic investment to prevent disruptions to critical HIV services.
Mrs. Tinubu disclosed that the Federal Government had approved a 200-million-dollar disbursement to support HIV, tuberculosis and malaria programmes, while NACA was engaging state governments to ensure long-term ownership of the national response.
Director-General of NACA, Dr. Temitope Ilori, said stigma was gradually declining and Nigeria remained on track to end AIDS as a public health threat, despite recent global and economic disruptions.
Ilori added that while challenges such as COVID-19, economic fluctuations and declining donor support persisted, they had strengthened Nigeria’s resolve to build a more sustainable and homegrown HIV response.
She noted that adult HIV prevalence had dropped to 1.4 per cent, with an estimated 1.9 million Nigerians living with the virus — progress driven by expanded access to testing and treatment.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, represented by Permanent Secretary Daju Kachollom, described efforts to sustain Nigeria’s HIV response amid disruptions as timely and essential.
She said Nigeria had weathered pandemics, economic shocks and pressure on the health system, yet remained resolute in its commitment to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat through strengthened sector reforms.
Walson-Jack added that HIV services continued to be integrated into broader health reforms, including the Health Sector Renewal Initiative and the revitalization of primary healthcare, to ensure more resilient service delivery nationwide.
