The National Agency For The Control Of AIDS (NACA) says Nigeria will, in March 2026, receive Lenacapavir, a novel HIV prevention drug that demonstrated 100 percent efficacy in clinical trials.
In a statement issued on Monday, the agency’s Head of Public Relations, Toyin Aderibigbe, said the drug has secured regulatory approval from the (NAFDAC), clearing the path for its rollout in the country.
Lenacapavir is an injectable medication administered twice yearly as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), offering a more convenient alternative to the daily oral HIV prevention regimen currently in use.
According to NACA, Nigeria is among 120 low- and middle-income countries expected to access the drug at a subsidised cost of $40 per person annually. The pricing arrangement is backed by voluntary licensing agreements with generic manufacturers aimed at widening access.
The agency said the federal government is intensifying preparations for the introduction and phased deployment of Lenacapavir as part of broader efforts to strengthen HIV prevention strategies.
“This is part of the government’s commitment to accelerate progress toward epidemic control and reinforce the national HIV response,” the statement read.
NACA listed key milestones already achieved, including the completion of landscape and readiness assessments in 10 states — Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Gombe, Kano, Kwara and Lagos.
The agency added that regulatory clearance by NAFDAC has been finalised, with the first consignment of the drug expected in-country in March.
Nigeria currently has an estimated 1.9 million people living with HIV, with a national prevalence rate of 1.3 percent among adults aged 15 to 49 years.
Data cited by NACA show that the country recorded 74,000 new HIV infections and 51,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2021. The South-South geopolitical zone has the highest prevalence rate at 3.1 percent, while women aged 15 to 49 are more than twice as likely to be living with HIV compared to men in the same age bracket.
