The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr. Gambo Aliyu, has urged Nigerians to know their HIV status and avoid risky behaviours during the Valentine’s season. In a statement released on Monday and signed by the agency’s Head of Public Relations and Protocol, Toyin Aderibigbe, Dr. Aliyu emphasized the importance of reducing new HIV infections among Nigerian youths through abstinence and condom use.
Valentine’s Day, celebrated annually on February 14, is a time for love and gift‑giving. Dr. Aliyu called on Nigerians—especially young people—to use the spirit of love and togetherness that the day represents as an opportunity to learn their HIV status. Knowing one’s status, he said, is the first step toward prevention, treatment, and care for HIV/AIDS.
The statement noted that, while Valentine’s Day is significant worldwide, it can also lead to concerns. Expressions of love, particularly among adolescents, youths, and other groups, often occur out of context, resulting in indiscriminate sexual activity and other amoral behaviours. Such actions increase the risk of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Concerned about these trends, Dr. Aliyu urged Nigerians—especially youths—to express love responsibly, caring deeply for their partners while protecting them from harm and avoiding risk factors that make them vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and other STDs. He reminded the public that health and productivity affect not only nuclear and extended families but also the nation as a whole. “Nigeria stands to benefit from your contributions,” he said, urging people to desist from practices that could expose them to HIV/AIDS or other STDs as they commemorate the holiday. “Love wisely, share love, not the virus.”
Dr. Aliyu reiterated that reducing new HIV infections among youths requires promoting abstinence and, for those who cannot abstain, encouraging condom use to prevent STDs, HIV, and unwanted pregnancies. He stressed the need to make condoms readily available as a preventive measure for youths and people of reproductive age, noting that new HIV infections are highest among those aged 15‑24 years, with national data indicating that about 4.2 % of young people in this age group are living with HIV.
In closing, he appealed once more for responsible love: “As we express love on this day, remember to love wisely. Your health and productivity are vital to the future of our country. Avoid risky behaviours as we commemorate Valentine’s Day. Love wisely, share love, not HIV.”
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