HIV Prevention Drug Arrives Nigeria March, Says NACA

The Federal Government, through the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), said Nigeria will receive a new drug for HIV prevention, Lenacapavir, in March 2026.

In a statement on Monday by NACA’s spokesperson, Toyin Aderibigbe, the agency said it is advancing preparations for the introduction and rollout of Lenacapavir (LEN) as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), adding that the drug has shown 100 per cent effectiveness in preventing HIV infection in clinical trials.

It further stated that the move was part of its commitment to accelerate progress towards HIV epidemic control.

Lenacapavir is an injectable treatment administered twice a year, making it a more convenient alternative to daily oral prevention drugs.

The drug is expected to be available in Nigeria and 119 other low- and middle-income countries at an affordable price of $40 per person annually.

“The Government of Nigeria is advancing preparations for the introduction and rollout of Lenacapavir as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

“This is part of the government’s commitment to strengthen HIV prevention and accelerate progress toward epidemic control. The commodities are expected in the country in March 2026,” the statement noted.

The Agency also disclosed some significant milestones achieved, including completion of landscape and readiness assessments across ten states such as Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, FCT, Gombe, Kano, Kwara, and Lagos to evaluate service delivery capacity and identify implementation needs, as well as regulatory approval by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

According to statistics, Nigeria has an estimated 1.8 million people living with HIV. It also accounts for 4.5 per cent of the global HIV burden, with a prevalence of 1.6 per cent among women aged15-49 years, and 1.1 per cent among men.

On November 26, 2025, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) revealed that condom distribution in Nigeria fell by 55 per cent over the past year.

The situation, according to the Union, emerged due to abrupt funding cuts and a deteriorating human rights environment, disrupting prevention and treatment services across dozens of countries.

HIV Prevention Drug Arrives Nigeria March, Says NACA is first published on The Whistler Newspaper