The Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on HIV response to galvanize urgent action against the epidemic.
In a joint statement by Dr. Bright Oniovokukor, South-South Zonal Coordinator, and Hamza Aliyu, North Central Zonal Coordinator, CiSHAN called on all levels of government to prioritize domestic resource mobilization for a sustainable HIV response.
Highlighting challenges such as drug abuse among youths, poverty, economic hardship, and inadequate awareness campaigns, Oniovokukor warned that Nigeria risks reversing hard-won gains if swift action is not taken.
“The 2025 budgets at both national and state levels allocate less than 0.0001% to the fight against HIV, contrary to the Abuja Declaration’s 15% benchmark. This is unacceptable,” he stated.
The organization also expressed concern over dwindling donor support, particularly from the United States, which has created uncertainty and dependence on external funding.
“The Civil Society response has been weak. The time for concerted efforts is now. Nigeria cannot afford to lose the gains made over the last 15 years,” Oniovokukor stressed, emphasizing the need to protect vulnerable children and adolescents from infection.
CiSHAN urged stakeholders, including the government, civil society, and the private sector, to collaborate for a unified approach, emphasizing the importance of a renewed commitment to ending AIDS by 2030.
