Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory Administration has warned that the country risks losing momentum in the fight against HIV/AIDS unless awareness and services are extended to rural communities. According to the administration, stigma, insecurity, and poor access to healthcare continue to hinder progress in these areas.

At the 2025 World AIDS Day commemoration in Abuja, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Adedolapo Fasawe, emphasized the need to take the campaign to rural areas. “The people who need the message more are in the communities. We can’t succeed in sustaining the campaign against AIDS without going closer to the rural areas,” she said.

The 2025 theme, “Overcoming Disruptions: Sustaining Nigeria’s HIV Response,” highlights the urgent need for domestic resource mobilization as donor funding continues to decline. Fasawe listed insecurity, inaccessible settlements, and lingering stigma as major barriers that the government is determined to address. She assured that the government is committed to ensuring access, affordability, and availability of treatment to improve success rates.

The FCT Regional Manager of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, Tangkat Hosle, supported the administration’s stance, stating that strengthening local ownership and sustaining innovation are essential to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Despite progress in transforming HIV into a manageable chronic condition, Hosle noted that the poor, women, and children remain disproportionately affected.

The FCT Department of Public Health has reinforced its community structures through a First-Class Committee that interfaces directly with area councils. The administration has also educated people about HIV, including the availability of free treatment and preventive services. Community mobilizers, civil society groups, and PLHIV support networks are driving service uptake across all six area councils.

With external funding declining, the FCT is turning to domestic financing and integrating programs like malaria and tuberculosis to minimize costs and ensure wider access. The administration is also exploring global innovations, including long-acting injectable drugs that provide monthly HIV prevention.

Nigeria carries one of the world’s largest HIV burdens, with an estimated 1.7 to 1.9 million people living with the disease. Despite treatment expansion improving outcomes, challenges persist, including shrinking donor funding, insecurity, stigma, and difficult-to-reach communities. The FCT Administration has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening partnerships and driving innovations to protect communities from disruptions in HIV care.