The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has confirmed that Nigeria is preparing to receive Lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV prevention injection described as a major breakthrough in global efforts to curb new infections.
In a statement issued on Monday by the agency’s Head of Public Relations, Toyin Aderibigbe, NACA disclosed that the drug has secured regulatory clearance from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), paving the way for its introduction into the country.
Lenacapavir, administered twice yearly, is designed as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option and offers a more convenient alternative to daily oral HIV prevention pills. Clinical trials have shown it to be 100 per cent effective in preventing HIV transmission among participants.
According to NACA, Nigeria is among 120 low- and middle-income countries expected to access the medication at a subsidised annual cost of about $40 per person under voluntary licensing agreements with generic pharmaceutical manufacturers.
“The Government of Nigeria is intensifying preparations for the phased introduction and nationwide rollout of Lenacapavir as part of its HIV prevention strategy,” the agency said. “This initiative reflects our unwavering commitment to reducing new infections and moving closer to ending the HIV epidemic.”
The agency also highlighted key preparatory steps already completed, including readiness and landscape assessments conducted across ten states — Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Gombe, Kano, Kwara and Lagos.
NACA added that the first batch of the preventive injection is expected to arrive in the country by March 2026.
Nigeria continues to bear a significant HIV burden, with an estimated 1.9 million people currently living with the virus and a national prevalence rate of 1.3 per cent among adults aged 15 to 49 years. In 2021 alone, the country recorded about 74,000 new infections and 51,000 AIDS-related deaths.
Data further indicate that the South-South region has the highest prevalence rate at 3.1 per cent, while women within the 15–49 age bracket are more than twice as likely to be living with HIV compared to men.