The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has warned that persistent stigma and discrimination continue to undermine Nigeria’s fight against HIV, despite millions of people requiring sustained treatment and long-term support.
The Director-General of NACA, Dr Temitope Ilori, gave the warning on Tuesday in Lagos during a Zero Stigma Sensitisation Against Discrimination of People Living with HIV (PLWHIV) programme held in Ikeja Local Government Area.
Ilori, who was represented by NACA’s South-West Zonal Coordinator, Raheem Mohammed, said stigma remains one of the most significant barriers to achieving epidemic control of HIV in Nigeria.
According to her, Nigeria currently has about 1.9 million people living with HIV, while Lagos State alone accounts for an estimated 1.3 million, making the state a critical priority in the national HIV response.
“Stigma remains a major obstacle in our national and state efforts to eliminate HIV/AIDS, which is essential to achieving epidemic control,” Ilori said.
She described Lagos as Nigeria’s commercial and population hub, noting that its high population density and mobility make sustained awareness and anti-stigma campaigns imperative.
Available data, she explained, showed that Lagos State has a prevalence rate of over 1.3 per cent, translating to a large number of people who require continuous prevention, treatment and support services.
Ilori noted that Ikeja, as an administrative and economic centre, attracts a diverse and mobile population, increasing the importance of targeted sensitisation against HIV-related stigma and discrimination.
She stressed that stigma discourages people from seeking testing, care and treatment due to fear of rejection, job loss and social exclusion, despite the fact that early testing and consistent treatment can suppress the virus and prevent transmission.
Ilori added that the Zero Stigma Campaign would be extended to other local government areas this year, including Alimosho, with the aim of promoting accurate knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention, strengthening community support systems and improving access to HIV services.
She called for a broad coalition involving communities, traditional and religious leaders, health workers, the media, families and caregivers to collectively combat stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.
The sensitisation programme was organised by NACA in collaboration with GEDERITE Nigeria Ltd., the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) and the **Improved Sexual Health and Right Advocacy Initiative (ISHRAI).
Speaking at the event, LSACA Chief Executive Officer, Dr Folakemi Animashaun, disclosed that Lagos State was reviewing a 2007 law designed to protect people living with HIV in order to close existing gaps.
She said the review aims to strengthen legal protections, align the law with global best practices and provide stronger safeguards against discrimination.
“Stigma does not only occur within health facilities. It happens in workplaces, schools, markets, motor parks, places of worship and even within families,” Animashaun said.
She urged government agencies, employers, service providers and community leaders to demonstrate zero tolerance for stigma by offering non-discriminatory services and using respectful language.
“Discrimination against people living with HIV has no place in our society. HIV is not a death sentence,” she said.
Also speaking, Ms Monica Obi, representing the Network of People Living with HIV in Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, called for an end to HIV-related stigma, noting that discrimination was driving pregnant women away from testing and treatment.
Obi, who also represented the Association of Women Living with HIV in Lagos, said fear of being labelled often forced women to conceal their HIV status until after delivery, increasing the risk of mother-to-child transmission.
She called for collective action to ensure future generations are born HIV-free.
