Demand for the newly introduced lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable drug used to prevent HIV infection, has surged in parts of Nigeria, leaving participating health facilities in Benue, Kwara, Gombe and Cross River states temporarily out of stock.
The development comes only months after Nigeria began rolling out lenacapavir as part of a Federal Government pilot programme targeting people who could benefit from HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The World Health Organisation recognises lenacapavir as an additional HIV-prevention option, particularly for people who face difficulties adhering to daily oral PrEP.
In Benue, Commissioner for Health and Human Services Paul Ogwuche said more than 2,000 HIV-negative people had received the injection since its introduction in May. He confirmed that the state’s initial allocation had been exhausted but said additional supplies were being processed and described the shortage as temporary.
Kwara has similarly exhausted its initial allocation of more than 800 doses. The state’s AIDS Programme Coordinator, Muhammed Rasheed, said the state was expecting more than 1,000 additional doses, adding that demand had been strong enough to justify extending the programme to more facilities when new supplies arrive.
In Cross River, health workers reported particularly strong demand among sex workers, some of whom said the injection offered greater privacy and convenience than taking a preventive pill every day. The state had launched the programme in May as one of the pilot locations selected for the intervention.
The situation is different in Lagos, where officials reportedly have sufficient supplies but are dealing with relatively low uptake. Health authorities have therefore been encouraging eligible residents to come forward and access the preventive injection.
The National Agency for the Control of AIDS attributed some of the supply challenges to logistics and funding constraints, noting that commodities can be available nationally while distribution problems prevent them from reaching particular states. NACA also linked wider programme pressures to reductions in funding for HIV interventions.
Nigeria received an initial 11,520 doses on March 19, 2026, which were subsequently distributed to 10 pilot locations, including Benue, Kwara, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Gombe, Anambra, Ebonyi, Kano, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Federal Government officially introduced lenacapavir in Nigeria in March 2026 with support from the WHO, Global Fund, PEPFAR and other partners. The injection is administered once every six months, offering an alternative to daily oral PrEP for eligible HIV-negative people at substantial risk of infection.
The contrasting experiences across states—stock-outs in some locations and low uptake in others—highlight both the demand for longer-acting HIV prevention and the logistical challenge of matching supplies with demand as Nigeria expands access to the new intervention.
