By Hopejane Uzor
Nigeria will, in March 2026, take delivery of Lenacapavir, a breakthrough HIV prevention drug described as 100 per cent effective in preventing HIV infection during clinical trials.
The announcement was made on Monday by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), which confirmed that regulatory approval has been secured from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
In a statement issued by NACA’s Head of Public Relations, Toyin Aderibigbe, the agency disclosed that the injectable drug will be administered twice yearly as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), offering a more convenient alternative to daily oral prevention medication.
According to NACA, the drug will be made available in Nigeria and 119 other low- and middle-income countries at an affordable price of 40 dollars (approximately ₦60,000 at current exchange rates) per person per year, following voluntary licensing agreements with generic manufacturers.
“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 statement said.
The agency added that several preparatory milestones have been achieved ahead of the rollout. These include completion of landscape and readiness assessments across ten states — Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Gombe, Kano, Kwara and Lagos — alongside securing regulatory clearance from NAFDAC.
“The commodities are expected in the country in March 2026,” NACA noted.
Nigeria currently has about 1.9 million people living with HIV, with a national prevalence rate of 1.3 per cent among adults aged 15–49 years. The country recorded 74,000 new HIV infections and 51,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2021.
The South-South geopolitical zone bears the highest burden, with a prevalence rate of 3.1 per cent.
Women aged 15–49 years are more than twice as likely to be living with HIV compared to men in the same age bracket.
Health authorities say the introduction of Lenacapavir is expected to significantly reduce new infections and strengthen Nigeria’s progress toward controlling the HIV epidemic.
