In its continued commitment to public health and community well-being, the Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS (NIBUCAA), in longstanding partnership with Access Holdings, successfully provided HIV testing to over 2000 participants at the recently concluded Access Bank Lagos City Marathon 2025.
The event which held on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at Eko Atlantic City, Lagos, the finish line of the race, also served as a platform to sensitize over 3,000 individuals on HIV prevention and distribute over 2,000 essential Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials, along with numerous packs of condoms.
This impactful initiative brings to mind the fact that it is a critical moment for Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS response. Noting that on January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order pausing all foreign aid funding for 90 days. This pause directly affects the US Government-funded President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which provides roughly 70% of the total US$500 million per annum required for Nigeria’s HIV response and currently supports over 1.5 million HIV-positive Nigerians on treatment.
This calls for the urgent need of strong private partnerships to shape Nigeria’s future HIV/AIDS response, especially given the growing concerns over the nation’s heavy reliance on international donor funding, and the potential impact of recent policy changes. NIBUCAA over the years has been the backbone of galvanizing the private sector and its resources to come together…,.
Esther Graham, a member of Access Holdings Sustainability Team, stated, “It has never been more important to have programs and collaborations like this, and Access Holdings is proud to be a part of this initiative. With Nigeria having one of the highest HIV/AIDS burdens in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is vital that we take decisive actions to create awareness and give access to free HIV/AIDS testing services. Strategic private partnerships are more important than ever in the Nigerian HIV/AIDS response.”
There is also a concerning perception among many Nigerians that HIV is no longer a significant health threat. In reality, HIV continues to pose a serious public health challenge. It is not only transmitted through well-known routes such as unprotected sexual contact and contaminated blood, but misconceptions about other modes of transmission persist, undermining prevention efforts. Dispelling these myths and reinforcing accurate information is essential to ensure that everyone understands the risks and adopts the necessary preventive measures.
Dr. Jekwu Ozoemene, member of the African HIV Control Working Group and former CEO of NIBUCAA and HTFN remarked,”The Nigerian government urgently needs to prepare an emergency plan to ensure that the 1.9 million HIV-positive Nigerians have
secure access to treatment, monitoring, and support in the event that external funding for HIV is halted or curtailed.” He emphasized, “We need to strengthen our health and community systems to effectively integrate HIV services, in particular, into Primary Health Care and Universal Health Coverage. We must take full ownership of our national HIV response, a ‘burning platform moment’, a time of urgent crisis requiring immediate action. Global solidarity should serve only as the icing on the cake. If we don’t act swiftly, people will die!”
Access Bank is one of the leading member partners of NIBUCAA, collaborating with over 20 of Nigeria’s top businesses, including the Dangote Group and Shell Development Company of Nigeria in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Their steadfast support has been instrumental in driving community outreach, innovative health programs, and advocacy efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s resilience against HIV/AIDS.
NIBUCAA remains committed to galvanizing the private sector in its efforts to transform Nigeria’s HIV response by promoting sustainable, driven solutions and ensuring that quality HIV/AIDS services are accessible to all Nigerians. Together with its partners, NIBUCAA will continue to drive impactful community-based interventions, advocate for robust public health policies.