Nigeria is set to take delivery of Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable drug shown to be fully effective in preventing HIV infection during clinical trials, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has announced.
In a statement issued on Monday, NACA’s Head of Public Relations, Toyin Aderibigbe, said the agency had secured regulatory approval from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), clearing the way for the drug’s introduction into the country.
Lenacapavir, administered by injection twice a year, is expected to offer a practical alternative to daily oral HIV prevention pills.
The drug will be made available in Nigeria and 119 other low- and middle-income countries at an estimated cost of $40 per person per year under voluntary licensing agreements with generic manufacturers.
According to NACA, the Federal Government has begun preparations for the rollout of Lenacapavir as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), describing the move as part of broader efforts to strengthen HIV prevention and accelerate progress towards epidemic control.
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The Agency announced groundwork for the introduction is already under way, including landscape and readiness assessments across 10 states, including Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, Gombe, Kano, Kwara and Lagos, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
It stated that regulatory approval by NAFDAC has also been completed and that "the commodities are expected in the country in March 2026."
Nigeria is home to an estimated 1.9 million people living with HIV, with a national prevalence rate of 1.3 per cent among adults aged 15 to 49.
Official figures show that the country recorded about 74,000 new HIV infections and 51,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2021.
The South-South region has the highest prevalence rate at 3.1 per cent, while women aged 15 to 49 are more than twice as likely to be living with HIV as men.
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