On Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari gave the Transition Committee, under the direction of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, instructions to make sure that the accomplishments of the HIV program are amply noted in transition notes and a sustainability roadmap articulated for the incoming administration.
The President issued the order while meeting with Dr. Gambo Aliyu, Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Molly Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Mary Beth Leonard, US Ambassador to Nigeria.
The President told the US government that Nigeria will continue to prioritize the battle against HIV/AIDS until the condition was no longer a threat to public health, according to a statement by the president’s media assistant, Femi Adesina.
He continued by saying that his administration would stop at nothing until a long-lasting system was in place and that it remained dedicated to eliminating HIV and other public health issues.
President Buhari praised the NACA DG for a job well done and welcomed the enormous strides made in the nation’s effort to eliminate AIDS.
I want to recognize the crucial role that was played in enabling the large infrastructure investment made over the years for HIV control, the fight against COVID-19, the Monkeypox, Lassa fever, and other new infectious illnesses harming our people.
“The nation’s preparedness and capacity to respond to public health catastrophes is growing stronger by the day, thanks to our relentless efforts and our allies’ assistance.”
To that aim, he declared, “the Federal Government will continue to engage with the leadership of the Governors Forum and the organized private sector to continue providing enough resources and sustainable financing for the national response to HIV.”
The Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee, said they were honored to be partners in the fight against HIV/AIDS and that their attendance “shows the esteem with which we view you (President Buhari) and your country.”
“We value your leadership, as well as that of the NACA director general and his team. All of you should be proud of what you’ve accomplished, she continued.
The Assistant Secretary of State also praised President Buhari for deciding against running for a third term and for his support of free and fair elections in the next general elections.
Molly Phee acquiesced, saying, “You are a leader for the sub-region, for the continent, and for the world.”
Mary Beth Leonard, the American ambassador to Nigeria, expressed her delight at the steps taken by Nigeria to fight AIDS and called them “great achievements.”
