Lagos State, Nigeria is preparing to independently procure antiretroviral medicines for people living with HIV. In a move, officials say it is intended to strengthen the long-term sustainability of treatment and reduce dependence on international donor funding.
The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) announced that the first consignment of state-funded antiretroviral medicines is expected to arrive before the end of August 2026. If completed as planned, Lagos will become the first Nigerian sub-national government to independently procure the medicines.
The development comes as Nigeria reassesses how its HIV response is financed. The country’s new National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan for 2026 to 2030 places greater emphasis on domestic financing, health insurance and integrating HIV services into primary healthcare.
Thousands of patients depend on treatment
According to LSACA, 147,904 people were receiving antiretroviral therapy across Lagos as of 2025, with 97 per cent achieving viral suppression. The state also conducted more than 504,000 HIV tests during 2025, identifying 11,940 positive cases.
In the first quarter of 2026, Lagos conducted another 179,229 HIV tests and identified 3,390 positive cases. The reported positivity rate fell from 2.4 per cent in 2025 to 1.9 per cent during the first quarter of 2026.
LSACA Chief Executive Officer, Folakemi Animashaun, said the state-funded procurement is designed to help guarantee uninterrupted access to treatment.
The move also reflects wider concerns about the sustainability of Nigeria’s HIV response. A 2026 review published in Discover Public Health found that external donors have historically accounted for more than 70 per cent of Nigeria’s HIV expenditure, highlighting the vulnerability created by heavy reliance on international financing.
Why continuity matters
Antiretroviral therapy suppresses HIV, helping people living with the virus remain healthy and reducing the risk of transmission. Maintaining a reliable supply is therefore essential to effective HIV care.
Research published in 2026 examining HIV services during a period of funding disruption in Nigeria found that uncertainty surrounding funding affected patients, healthcare workers and service delivery, even when medicine stocks remained available. The researchers highlighted the importance of reliable financing, communication and laboratory services.
Lagos is also reporting progress in preventing mother-to-child transmission. LSACA said the positivity rate among infants receiving early HIV diagnosis fell from 5.1 per cent in 2020 to 1.5 per cent in 2025.
For health officials, the challenge now is ensuring that these gains are maintained as responsibility for financing treatment increasingly shifts towards domestic systems.
As Lagos prepares for the arrival of its first state-funded antiretroviral medicines, the move could become an important test of Nigeria’s broader transition towards a more domestically financed and sustainable HIV response.
For the thousands of Lagos residents who depend on treatment, the ultimate measure of the policy will be simple. Will medicines remain available when they are needed?
