The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) says Nigeria is set to receive Lenacapavir, a new HIV prevention drug that demonstrated 100 percent effectiveness in clinical trials.
In a statement issued by NACA’s Head of Public Relations, Toyin Aderibigbe, the agency confirmed that regulatory approval has been obtained from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) ahead of the rollout.
Lenacapavir is an injectable prevention drug administered twice a year, offering an alternative to daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications. It is expected to be available in Nigeria and 119 other low- and middle-income countries at an annual cost of about $40 per person through voluntary licensing agreements with generic manufacturers.
NACA said preparations for the introduction and distribution of the drug are ongoing under government efforts to strengthen HIV prevention and accelerate progress toward epidemic control.
The agency disclosed that landscape and readiness assessments have been completed across ten states — Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, the Federal Capital Territory, Gombe, Kano, Kwara, and Lagos — as part of rollout preparations.
According to NACA, the commodities are expected to arrive in the country in March 2026.
Nigeria currently has about 1.9 million people living with HIV, with a national prevalence rate of 1.3 percent among adults aged 15 to 49. The country recorded 74,000 new infections and 51,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2021.
Regional data show the South-South zone has the highest prevalence at 3.1 percent, while women aged 15 to 49 are more than twice as likely to be living with HIV compared to men.