Nigerian health officials and global partners are voicing severe concern after a new report revealed that the distribution of condoms across the country plummeted by 55 per cent over the past year, sparking fears of a potential surge in new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The drastic reduction, highlighted by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in its 2025 World AIDS Day report, represents a major setback to national efforts aimed at curbing the epidemic. UNAIDS cautioned that a failure to restore prevention efforts globally could result in an additional 3.3 million new HIV infections between 2025 and 2030.
Experts speaking to local media emphasized that the drop threatens to undo years of hard-won public health gains.
Professor Tanimola Akande, a public health specialist at the University of Ilorin, described the figure as “massive,” noting that a continued shortfall “will reverse the gains made over the years in reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.” The country currently has an estimated HIV prevalence of 1.3 per cent, with about two million people living with the virus.
Another specialist, Professor Lawrence Ogbonnaya of Ebonyi State University, pointed to high-risk behaviors among young people, warning that the decline in condom circulation would inevitably drive up infection rates. “When people have multiple sexual partners, and they are not practising protected sex — which means using a condom — the likelihood of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections increases,” Prof. Ogbonnaya stated.
The funding crisis is attributed in part to sharp reductions in donor contributions and cuts to international health assistance, exacerbating the challenges of providing prevention tools and life-saving treatments in low- and middle-income countries. Experts are now urging the Nigerian government to stabilize supply chains and intensify health education campaigns, particularly targeting young adults.
