Public Health: Nigeria reaffirms commitment to ending HIV/AIDS scourge by 2030

*Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, discloses the Nigerian Government has introduced and implemented several initiatives, programmes, and invested over N300 billion to strengthen the HIV/AIDS response and supported health agencies across the West African country

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As Nigeria joins the rest of the global community to commemorate the 2025 World AIDS Day (WAD), the Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to achieving the global target of ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

ConsumerConnect reports Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, stated this Monday, December 1, 2025, during the national commemoration held in the State House, Abuja, FCT.

Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare

The event with the theme: “Overcoming Disruptions: Sustaining Nigeria’s HIV Response”, was organised in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady’s Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).

Dr. Salako disclosed the Nigerian Government has introduced and implemented several programmes, and invested over N300 billion to strengthen the HIV/AIDS response and supported health agencies nationwide.

The Minister of Stated for Health and Social Welfare, in his address on the occasion, noted the country also has increased domestic funding for HIV interventions to reduce dependency on foreign aid.

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According to him, with the expanded local production of antiretroviral drugs and test kits improving national self-sufficiency and long-term sustainability.

He also noted that HIV testing, counselling and treatment coverage have continued to expand with about 1.6 million Nigerians currently on antiretroviral therapy out of estimated 1.9 million people living with the virus nationwide.

It is recalled the Federal Government, in 2024, inaugurated the Free to Shine Campaign, championed by First Lady (Senator) Oluremi Tinubu, CON.

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The objective is to eliminate HIV, syphilis and tuberculosis, particularly preventing mother-to-child transmission in Nigeria.

Despite the absence of a cure or vaccine, Nigeria yet aims to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, transitioning HIV into a manageable, endemic condition through sustained treatment and prevention efforts.

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Speaking on the occasion of the commemoration of this year’s World AIDS Day, in Abuja, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu said Nigeria had recorded notable progress in HIV prevention, treatment and care.

Urging the stakeholders on commitment to ensuring all Nigerians in need access lifesaving services, the First Lady emphasised that ending AIDS required compassion, innovation and continuous advocacy.

She equally touched on the need to address persistent stigma and discrimination.

Every Nigerian deserved dignity and non-judgmental access to healthcare, stated she.

According to the Nigerian First Lady, national efforts over the past year had focused on eliminating what she described as “vertical transmission”, expanding paediatric HIV treatment, and advancing local sustainability of the HIV response across all states of the Federation.

She applauded 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 in this regard.

Besides, First Lady Tinubu noted the Federal Ministry of Health has also played a crucial role in advancing national progress.

She said the combined efforts of those institutions had significantly strengthened the fight against HIV/AIDS nationwide.

In partnership with the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), she also stated that the “Free to Shine Campaign” has expanded its reach across all six geopolitical zones of the country.

The initiative was promoting the elimination of HIV, hepatitis and syphilis among mothers and children, strengthening early testing, treatment access and preventive healthcare services nationwide.

The First Lady, however, cautioned that Nigeria’s response has remained heavily donor-funded despite shifting global financing trends, particularly in 2025.

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Advocating increased local investment to prevent disruptions to critical HIV services, First Lady Tinubu disclosed the Nigerian Government had approved the disbursement of 200 million Dollars to support HIV, tuberculosis and malaria programmes.

She said the National Agency for the Control of AIDS also was engaging state governments to ensure long-term ownership of the national response to the public health threat.

In his remarks at the event, Dr. Temitope Ilori, Director-General of NACA, said contrary to what used to be the social habit, stigma was gradually decreasing, and that Nigeria is poised to end AIDS as a public health threat despite the recent global and economic disruptions to international funding.

Dr. Ilori noted that challenges, including the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, economic fluctuations and declining donor support, have strengthened Nigeria’s determination to build a more self-reliant, sustainable and homegrown HIV response in the health sector of the economy.

She also affirmed that adult HIV prevalence had dropped to 1.4 percent, with estimated 1.9 million Nigerians living with the virus.

This development, Dr. Ilori averred, has reflected progress made through improved access to treatment and testing in Nigeria.

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