Nigeria is set to become one of the first low- and middle-income countries to access Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug reported as 100% effective in clinical trials, as part of a major push to accelerate epidemic control.
The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) announced on Monday that the drug, a long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), has received regulatory approval from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). This approval clears the path for the introduction of the groundbreaking HIV prevention drug, which offers a significant convenience advantage over daily oral PrEP medications.
The agency stated that the government is advancing preparations for the drug’s rollout, framing it as a critical component of Nigeria’s commitment to strengthen HIV prevention strategies. Lenacapavir is anticipated to be available in Nigeria and 119 other qualifying countries at an affordable annual price of $40 per person, facilitated by voluntary licensing agreements with generic manufacturers.
Significant groundwork has already been completed. NACA reported finishing landscape and readiness assessments across ten priority states: Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, the Federal Capital Territory, Gombe, Kano, Kwara, and Lagos. The first consignments of the drug are expected to arrive in the country by March 2026.
The introduction of this long-acting PrEP option is particularly pertinent for Nigeria, which carries the world’s fourth-largest HIV burden. Approximately 1.9 million people are living with HIV, with a national adult prevalence of 1.3%. Data from 2021 indicated 74,000 new infections and 51,000 AIDS-related deaths that year. Disparities are stark, with the South-South geopolitical zone having the highest prevalence at 3.1%, and women aged 15-49 more than twice as likely to be living with HIV as men.
By adopting Lenacapavir, Nigeria aims to overcome adherence challenges associated with daily pills, potentially expanding prevention reach, especially among key and priority populations. The rollout represents a coordinated effort between regulatory, procurement, and health system planning to integrate a biomedical innovation into the national HIV response. The successful implementation of this affordable, long-acting prevention tool is viewed as a pivotal step toward achieving epidemic control and meeting global HIV reduction targets.
