Government of Nigeria Approves Measures to Strengthen and Sustain HIV Financing
In May 2022, the Government of Nigeria approved two memos, presented by the USAID-funded Health Policy Plus (HP+) project at the 6th National Council on AIDS. The memos call for sustainable HIV/AIDS health financing reforms, including implementation of Nigeria’s HIV domestic resource mobilization and sustainability strategy and the strengthening of public financial management.
In 2021, HP+ supported the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) to develop and launch the National Domestic Resource Mobilization and Sustainability Strategy for HIV, 2021–2025. If implemented per the memos’ call, the strategy would strengthen Nigeria’s HIV response; ensure effective, impactful, and sustained HIV epidemiological control efforts; and could help mobilize up to US$662 million by 2025. Most of the increased funds would come from improved allocation and execution of federal and state HIV budgets; integration of HIV into health insurance; Nigeria’s HIV Trust Fund, launched earlier this year; and bond market and philanthropic contributions.
HP+ also provided technical support to the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) and the State AIDS and STI Control Program to conceptualize, design, and implement activities to improve sustainable financing for HIV services and strengthen state-level capacity to effectively allocate and execute HIV funds. This capacity strengthening in public financial management, combined with strong government commitment, led to major achievements such as a 49 percent increase in LSACA’s budget allocation from about US$1.29 million in 2018 to about US$1.92 million in 2022, and a 193 percent increase in funds released to LSACA (US$341,284 in 2018 to US$1 million in 2021) for the procurement of HIV rapid test kits and other HIV programming activities.
Following the approval of the two memos, NACA will work in close collaboration with state agencies for the control of AIDS, the Ministry of Health, domestic resource mobilization multisectoral technical working groups, civil society organizations, and HIV implementing partners, to implement the domestic resource mobilization strategy and strengthen public financial management and budget advocacy efforts. This work will take place across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to improve government financing, reduce funding gaps, and ensure improved HIV outcomes and sustainability of Nigeria’s HIV response.
