Nigeria will introduce Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable HIV prevention drug, in January 2026 as part of a national strategy to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The announcement was made by the Minister of State for Health, Iziaq Salako, following the country’s selection by the Global Fund as one of nine early adopters for the drug’s pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use.
Lenacapavir is administered just twice a year, a significant shift from daily oral PrEP pills, which have seen limited uptake due to adherence difficulties and stigma. The Federal Ministry of Health has secured 52,000 doses for the initial rollout phase, focusing on key and vulnerable populations at high risk of HIV infection. The National Coordinator for HIV/AIDS and STDs Control, Adebobola Bashorun, confirmed the injection is intended to complement, not replace, existing prevention methods like oral PrEP. He noted that reported
