FG unveils HIV strategy to cut donor dependence

The Federal Government has unveiled a new National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan (NSP) 2026–2030 aimed at shifting Nigeria’s HIV response from heavy reliance on donor funding to a sustainable, locally driven model.

Speaking at the launch in Abuja on Thursday, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr Temitope Ilori, said Nigeria had reached a critical stage in its fight against HIV/AIDS and must adopt a new approach to financing and implementing programmes.

Ilori noted that although the country had recorded significant progress in reducing new infections and expanding access to treatment over the last two decades, declining external support and changing realities made a transition to a more sustainable system necessary.

She stated, “The HIV response stands at a very defining moment. Over the past two decades, the country has made significant progress in reducing infections and expanding access to treatment. This has been supported by strong partnerships, global solidarity and sustained national commitment.

“A central driver for this new plan is the recognition that the current donor-dependent model is no longer sustainable. With dwindling external funding, Nigeria must transition to a new business model with emphasis on sustainability, country ownership and a country-led response.”

According to her, the strategy was developed through broad consultations involving government agencies, civil society organisations, networks of people living with HIV, development partners, technical experts, the private sector and persons with disabilities.

Ilori explained that the new framework prioritises integrating HIV interventions into broader sectors such as healthcare, education, youth development, gender and justice to improve efficiency and strengthen service delivery.

“The NSP introduces a transformative approach anchored on integration, innovation and systemic strengthening. Prevention is being reframed to address both current and future risks, with greater focus on the general population, especially adolescents and young people,” she said.

She added that digital health solutions, local manufacturing initiatives and innovative service delivery models would play a key role in sustaining HIV programmes.

“The vision is clear: an HIV epidemic that is controlled through a sustainable, integrated and nationally owned response that leaves no one behind,” she stated.

Also speaking, the Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr John Ovuoraye, urged stakeholders to focus on implementing the plan rather than allowing it to remain a policy document.

“We now have a strategic plan. The question is, what next? Let this not be another document that sits on the shelf. We must engage with it, understand it and implement it accordingly,” Ovuoraye said.

He stressed that the plan promotes inclusivity, particularly for persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

“We are promoting inclusive health and universal health coverage. This strategic plan reflects our commitment to ensuring that nobody is left behind,” he added.

Representing the United Nations Joint Team on HIV/AIDS, Dr Doris Ogba described the NSP as a crucial roadmap for achieving national and global HIV targets, including the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals.

“The NSP is an all-important document for the HIV response. It sets out what we want to do, how we want to do it, the strategies we will employ and the targets we have set for ourselves,” Ogba said.

She urged stakeholders to actively use the strategy in guiding programmes and interventions across the country.

“Let us engage with the document, adapt it for our local programmes and use it to guide our interventions. Together, it can help us achieve the 95-95-95 targets and move closer to ending AIDS in Nigeria,” she added.

The National Coordinator of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, Dr Abdulkadri Ibrahim, welcomed the launch of the plan, describing it as a timely guide for the country’s HIV response.

“This is a guiding document, and we are happy to have it at this critical point in time. We will continue to use the data, the evidence and the strategies outlined in the plan to drive programmes across the country,” Ibrahim said.

Nigeria hosts one of the world’s largest HIV treatment programmes and has made notable progress in reducing HIV-related deaths and new infections.

However, health experts have repeatedly warned that sustaining these gains will require stronger domestic funding, improved health systems and deeper integration of HIV services into routine healthcare delivery.

The new five-year strategic plan is expected to serve as the country’s main framework for coordinating HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services while advancing efforts to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

Nigeria has one of the highest HIV burdens globally, with millions of people living with the virus. Over the years, the country’s HIV response has relied heavily on funding and technical support from international partners such as the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Global Fund and UNAIDS.

Recent concerns over shrinking donor resources have intensified calls for increased domestic financing and stronger national ownership of HIV programmes to sustain treatment and prevention gains.