By Rosheedat Akinkunle, JKNewsMedia Reporter
FUNDING SQUEEZE casts shadow over Nigeria’s Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) response causing mounting pressure on Nigeria’s overstretched healthcare system.
This has reignited fears about the sustainability of free HIV treatment as international donor support begins to wane as the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has revealed.
The virus continues to grip the states of Rivers, Benue, and Akwa Ibom, where a toxic mix of poverty, stigma, and socio-economic disparities fuels the country’s enduring HIV crisis.
A recent report by NACA shows that despite over a decade of intervention efforts, Nigeria remains one of the world’s worst-affected nations.
Government figures are also reported to place the national HIV prevalence at 1.3 percent among adults aged 15 to 49—a drop from the previously reported 2.8 percent, but still significant.
The steep burden borne by Rivers, Benue, and Akwa Ibom underscores the fragile progress made in tackling the epidemic.
Recent data highlights the Nigerian states with the highest HIV prevalence rates in 2025, painting a clearer picture of where the epidemic is most concentrated.
Akwa Ibom tops the list at 5.6 percent, followed by Benue at 4.9 percent and Rivers at 3.8 percent. Other high-prevalence states include Taraba (2.7%), Anambra (2.4%), Enugu (2.1%), Abia (2.1%), Delta (1.9%), Nasarawa (1.9%), and Edo (1.8%).
These figures stressed the persistent challenges in managing HIV and its antecedent Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in specific regions, where vulnerability is often heightened by socio-economic and cultural factors.
In the oil-rich corridors of Rivers and Akwa Ibom, the blend of industrialisation, rapid urban migration, and commercial sex work has accelerated the spread of the virus as NACA stated.
Benue, by contrast, also faces deep-rooted cultural challenges and chronic poverty, conditions that have normalised transactional sex and marginalised access to accurate health information.
Though Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) remains free, public health experts warn that this may not be guaranteed in the near future.
Also, Nigeria’s HIV treatment programme is largely sustained by external funding, particularly from initiatives like the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and The Global Fund, NACA says.
But a clear shift is underway: international partners are gradually transferring financial and operational responsibility to Nigerian authorities, raising doubts about the country’s readiness to fill the gap.
The agency also hinted on the online misinformation that has only worsened public anxiety.
It says that viral posts falsely claiming that HIV treatment would now cost patients N250,000 per dose or N500,000 monthly sparked alarm.
NACA swiftly countered these rumours, assuring Nigerians that HIV care remains free at government-run facilities.
“The government, in collaboration with donor partners, remains committed to providing free and accessible HIV treatment to all who need it,” the agency stated.
Still, access remains uneven, adding that rural communities continue to battle poor healthcare infrastructure, limited testing options, and stigma that deters people from seeking help.
As the donor tide recedes, health advocates stress that without robust domestic investment, the country’s gains could quickly unravel.
NACA adds that it would continue to roll out targeted interventions to reduce the impact of HIV in high-burden areas.
Public health initiatives focused on prevention, testing, and treatment remain essential, especially in states with elevated prevalence rates.
The agency also noted that these efforts are bolstered by international partners such as UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO), who provide strategic guidance and support.
Some innovations are helping bridge the gap, NACA says and notes that self-testing kits, community-led initiatives, and campaigns targeting young people are driving up awareness and early detection.
NACA also said that the “test and treat” strategy adopted by the government places individuals on medication immediately after diagnosis, adding that this is also improving outcomes.
However, without firm financial backing from within Nigeria, NACA says the progress remains perilously dependent on external goodwill.
The challenge now is whether the country can safeguard access to lifesaving treatment amid dwindling donor support and rising local demand, the agency stated.
HIV Prevalence Rates in 2025 in States and Their Burdens:
Abia – 2.1%
Akwa Ibom – 5.6%
Anambra – 2.4%
Benue – 4.9%
Delta – 1.9%
Edo – 1.8%
Enugu – 2.1%
Nasarawa – 1.9%
Rivers – 3.8%
Taraba – 2.7%
