By Victor Nwegede
The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) have called for stronger media engagement to improve public awareness, address misinformation and promote access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among Nigerians.
The agencies made the call during a two-day national training of media personnel on HIV PrEP, which kicked off on Monday in Lagos, where journalists and media professionals were equipped with information on HIV prevention and their role in communicating evidence-based messages to the public.
The training, organised to strengthen media capacity on PrEP reporting, brought together stakeholders from NACA, IHVN, the National AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), development partners and media organisations. NACA subsequently described the programme as part of efforts to strengthen public understanding of PrEP and support demand for HIV prevention services.
Represented at the event by the Head of Public Relations and Protocol, Toyin Aderibigbe, the Director-General of NACA, Dr Temitope Ilori, said the media remained an indispensable partner in Nigeria's HIV prevention response.
Ilori said while Nigeria had sustained gains in HIV testing, treatment and care, prevention remained a critical component of the national response, stressing that PrEP had become an important HIV prevention option for people who were HIV-negative and might be at risk of acquiring the virus.
She said the availability of prevention services alone was insufficient, noting that Nigerians must have access to accurate information, understand available prevention options, know where services could be accessed and feel confident seeking them.
According to her, inaccurate or sensational reporting could create fear, reinforce stigma and discourage people from accessing HIV prevention services.
She therefore urged journalists to report PrEP and HIV prevention "accurately, responsibly, respectfully and without stigma", while using their platforms to answer questions surrounding eligibility, how PrEP works, available options and where services could be obtained.
Ilori further urged media professionals to translate technical health information into simple, credible and engaging content capable of reaching ordinary Nigerians through television, radio, newspapers, online platforms and social media.
She said the role of the media had become even more significant as young people and other audiences increasingly obtained health information from digital platforms.
The NACA boss said the training should not be regarded as a one-off engagement, but as an opportunity to build a sustained relationship between NACA, the media, development partners and the wider digital communication community.
She added that the media would be required to help challenge misinformation, increase awareness and support demand for HIV prevention services as Nigeria implements its National Strategic Plan for HIV and AIDS 2026–2030, which places emphasis on sustainability, innovation, stronger partnerships and community engagement.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, Dr Patrick Dakum, represented by the Senior Programme Manager, Prevention, IHVN, Comfort Amina Ochigbo, commended the organisers for engaging the media on the rollout of PrEP.
Ochigbo said IHVN was working with NACA and other partners to ensure the successful implementation of the PrEP pilot programme, stressing the importance of disseminating correct information to the public.
She said the programme was being implemented across eight states and that effective demand creation was necessary to ensure that communities received accurate information devoid of misconceptions.
According to her, the media training was also aimed at strengthening public understanding of the intervention and supporting a successful scale-up that could attract additional funding for Nigeria's HIV prevention response.
The Federal Ministry of Health's National AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme (NASCP) also stressed the importance of collaboration between health institutions and the media.
The NASCP focal person for Advocacy, Communications and Social Mobilisation, Mrs Uchechi Nzenwata, said accurate and responsible reporting was essential to building public understanding and trust in HIV prevention.
Nzenwata commended NACA and IHVN for convening the training, adding that stronger collaboration between health institutions and the media would help ensure that communities received evidence-based information to make informed decisions about HIV prevention.
The participants, in a joint response, thanked the organisers for the capacity-building opportunity and pledged to deploy the knowledge acquired to ensure that accurate information on PrEP and HIV prevention reached the intended audiences.
The training featured technical presentations, interactive discussions, question-and-answer sessions and practical exercises designed to deepen participants' understanding of PrEP, address misconceptions and strengthen evidence-based reporting.
