The Federal Government has launched a new National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan for 2026–2030, designed to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign donor support and establish a more sustainable, locally driven HIV response system.
Account to Th Punch, the new strategy was unveiled on Thursday in Abuja by the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr Temitope Ilori, who described the current period as a decisive phase in Nigeria’s fight against HIV/AIDS.
Ilori explained that Nigeria has made remarkable progress over the years in expanding treatment access and reducing new HIV infections, largely through partnerships with international donors and sustained national efforts. However, she stressed that changing global realities and shrinking donor support now require the country to rethink its approach.
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.”
Ilori explained that the strategic framework emerged from extensive consultations involving government institutions, development partners, civil society groups, technical experts, private sector stakeholders, persons with disabilities and networks of people living with HIV.
She said the new plan seeks to strengthen service delivery by integrating HIV interventions into broader sectors including healthcare, education, youth development, gender and justice.
“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.
Ilori further noted that digital healthcare innovations, local production initiatives and alternative service delivery models would be central to sustaining HIV programmes across the country.
“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 at the event, the Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr John Ovuoraye, urged stakeholders to ensure that the strategic plan translates into measurable action.
“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 added that the framework strongly reflects the government’s commitment to inclusivity and universal health coverage, particularly for vulnerable populations and persons with disabilities.
“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 vital framework for meeting both national and international HIV response 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 encouraged stakeholders across the country to adopt the strategy in designing and implementing interventions.
“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, also welcomed the new strategic framework, describing it as timely and essential for guiding future interventions.
“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 currently operates one of the largest HIV treatment programmes globally and has recorded substantial reductions in HIV-related deaths and fresh infections in recent years.
Despite these gains, experts have continued to warn that long-term success will depend on stronger domestic financing, more resilient health systems and deeper integration of HIV services into routine healthcare delivery.
The five-year plan is expected to serve as the country’s primary framework for coordinating HIV prevention, treatment, care and support initiatives while advancing efforts to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Nigeria remains among countries with the highest HIV burden worldwide, with millions living with the virus.
For years, the national HIV response has been heavily supported through funding and technical assistance from international organisations including the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Global Fund and UNAIDS.
Concerns over declining donor funding have recently increased calls for greater local investment and stronger national ownership to preserve the gains already achieved in HIV treatment and prevention. :::
