Nigeria nears AIDS elimination, NACA declares
Nigeria is on course to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has said, despite economic challenges, inconsistent donor inflows and shifts in global health financing.
The update was given in Abuja on Tuesday by the Director General of NACA, Dr. Temitope Ilori, during a press briefing ahead of World AIDS Day, where she said the country has already met two of the three global HIV targets for 2030, placing it firmly on track toward ending AIDS.
“Today, I stand before you to report that Nigeria remains firmly on track to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. We will not stop until that goal is achieved,” she said.
Ilori highlighted Nigeria’s current progress toward the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, noting that the country stands at 87-98-95, reflecting improvements in diagnosis, treatment coverage and viral suppression.
“Eighty-seven per cent of people living with HIV in Nigeria know their status, 98 per cent of those who know their status are on life-saving treatment, and 95 per cent of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression,” she said.
The DG reported a 46 per cent decline in new HIV infections over the past decade and said more Nigerians living with HIV are now being retained in care than at any point in the country’s response. Progress in preventing mother-to-child transmission has also expanded early infant diagnosis and paediatric treatment.
Ilori credited civil society groups and community-led organisations for expanding access to prevention, testing and treatment, noting that 204,201 individuals from key populations were receiving antiretroviral therapy in 2024. She also cited increased domestic financing, including strengthened state HIV Trust Funds.
She said President Bola Tinubu approved 200 million dollars to protect essential HIV services amid global funding uncertainties, adding, “It was leadership in action, expressing Nigeria’s commitment to its people”.
Despite the gains, she warned that stigma, discrimination, funding gaps and limited service access in remote communities remain major concerns, while calling for stronger partnerships, expanded prevention for young people and key populations, and local production of HIV medicines.
Representatives of UNAIDS and APIN Public Health Initiatives reaffirmed their support, praising Nigeria’s leadership and pledging continued collaboration to close treatment gaps and sustain progress.
