The National Agency for the Control of AIDS and the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria have stressed the need for stronger collaboration with the media to deepen public understanding of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and drive demand for the prevention intervention.
The two agencies spoke in Lagos at a two-day national training for journalists and media professionals, where participants received technical grounding on PrEP to enable accurate reporting of HIV prevention and help counter misinformation and stigma.
PrEP is a prevention option for people who are HIV-negative but face a risk of contracting the virus. The training focused on helping journalists understand how PrEP works, who is eligible, its benefits and the available options, while equipping them to produce evidence-based, stigma-free content for both traditional and digital platforms.
Speaking at the event, NACA Director-General Temitope Ilori, who was represented by the agency’s Head of Public Relations and Protocol, Toyin Aderibigbe, said the media occupies a central place in ensuring Nigerians get credible information about HIV prevention.
Ilori noted that while the country had recorded steady gains in testing, treatment and care, prevention remained a vital pillar of the national response. She pointed out that simply making prevention services available would not suffice without corresponding public awareness, as people need to understand their options, know where to find services and feel confident enough to use them.
She warned that inaccurate or sensational reporting could breed fear, deepen HIV-related stigma and discourage people from seeking prevention services.
The NACA boss urged journalists to report PrEP and HIV prevention with accuracy, responsibility, respect and sensitivity, and to use their platforms to answer questions many Nigerians may be hesitant to ask such as who can use PrEP, how it works, the options available and where to access services.
“Your reporting should make these issues understandable to ordinary Nigerians,” she said.
Ilori also encouraged journalists to break down complex medical information into simple, engaging stories that can reach audiences across television, radio, newspapers, online platforms and social media, noting that the media’s role has become more critical as young people increasingly turn to digital platforms for health information.
She described the training as the start of a sustained partnership involving NACA, the media, development partners and the digital communication community rather than a one-off exercise.
According to her, journalists will be expected to help challenge misinformation, raise awareness and support demand for HIV prevention services under Nigeria’s National Strategic Plan 2026–2030, which prioritises sustainability, innovation, stronger partnerships, community engagement and an integrated national HIV response.
In his remarks, IHVN Chief Executive Officer Patrick Dakum, represented by the organisation’s Senior Programme Manager for Prevention, Comfort Amina Ochigbo, commended NACA for bringing the media into the conversation on PrEP.
Ochigbo said IHVN was collaborating with NACA and other partners on the PrEP pilot programme, stressing that effective communication was key to ensuring communities understood the intervention. She disclosed that the programme is being implemented across eight states, adding that creating demand through accurate information was necessary to correct misconceptions about PrEP.
She noted that better public understanding would be crucial to scaling up PrEP and strengthening Nigeria’s broader HIV prevention response.
Also speaking, Uchechi Nzenwata, the National AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme focal person for Advocacy, Communications and Social Mobilisation, said collaboration between health institutions and the media remained essential to building public trust in HIV prevention.
Nzenwata said responsible reporting would help ensure communities receive evidence-based information that supports informed decisions about HIV prevention.
The training featured technical presentations, interactive discussions, question-and-answer sessions and practical exercises on HIV transmission, prevention and PrEP. Participants also examined common myths and misconceptions and explored ways of producing simple, engaging and audience-specific content.
The focus on PrEP comes as Nigeria continues to strengthen its HIV prevention response, with NACA’s current prevention resources listing PrEP as one of the evidence-based interventions within combination HIV prevention.
Participants at the training pledged to apply the knowledge gained to produce accurate, evidence-based and non-stigmatising reports on PrEP and other HIV prevention interventions.
