Nigerian Civil Society Calls for Leadership at Every Level

As Bimbola Adewunmi, advocacy officer of Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) noted, “Many civil society groups, particularly at state level, ensured that political and other leaders were invited to give talks or participate in their events. Civil society worked toward this theme in most of the things that they did.”

A major event that takes place every year, in which JAAIDS takes the lead, is the Red Ribbon awards. Ms Adewunmi explained, “It represents the recognition of leadership in the field of journalism and it celebrates role models who in turn are better placed to lead and encourage others.”

This year the awards took place at the NICON Luxury Hotel on 8th December 2008. Among the VIP guests were Prof Osotimehin of National AIDS Control Agency (NACA), Jerome Mafeni of Enhanse and Dr Lateef Adegbite, Secretary-General, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs – a prominent member of the Inter-Faith Coalition on HIV/AIDS. Also featured at the awards, a book called “Taming the Hydra”, which tells the story of one man’s successful fight against the ‘hydra-headed monster’ of stigma and discrimination, was launched.

Civil society groups targeted communities to raise HIV and AIDS awareness after realising that quite often on World AIDS Day attention is solely focused on high profile, city-based events. In 2007, Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN), in collaboration with other civil society groups, decided to target relatively marginalised Abuja communities (Mabushi, Lugbe and Nanya) for advocacy visits. The messages delivered highlighted the reality of AIDS, reminded listeners of the key ways to prevent infection and encouraged voluntary counselling and testing (VCT).

“ These rural communities have been left out of HIV and AIDS prevention activities. They were happy we came and they requested for condoms and testing facilities to be brought to them as soon as possible,” Ayo Ipinmoye, Executive Secretary of CiSHAN pointed out.

After conducting the community advocacy visits, the groups of activists converged in Abuja to proceed, on foot, to the headquarters of NACA. There, Ayo Ipinmoye and Dr Pat Matemilola of the Network of People living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria, (NEPWHAN) delivered short addresses, highlighting the launch of the People’s AIDS Agenda, an advocacy tool developed by Nigerian civil society containing key messages that, as the document states, show that, “Civil Society is speaking with one, strong voice on AIDS.” They also delivered the messages from the communities, in particular their complaints about neglect and their desire to have VCT facilities.

Representing the Director General of NACA, Hajia Maimuna Mohammed assured the activists that NACA would continue to work hard towards universal access. She urged civil society to, ‘keep up its contributions to the efforts to turn around the epidemic as government can not do the job alone.”

In the build-up to World AIDS Day, civil society groups worked together, with the assistance of the World AIDS Campaign, to develop the People’s AIDS Agenda. The rationale for this was the change of government, which meant that many new representatives and some new to the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS, would be in government positions at all levels – federal, state and local. These changes often affect parastatals and other organisations that are important targets for HIV and AIDS advocacy. Additionally, the groups decided that the visual theme – or branding – of the People’s AIDS Agenda be incorporated into the World AIDS Day publicity materials adapted from the international World AIDS Campaign “Take the Lead” posters.

In addition to the Red Ribbon Awards, community outreach and rallies, a variety of other World AIDS Day-related activities took place, including the participation of civil society in a High-Level Stakeholders Panel on HIV/AIDS, which was organised by NACA, the United Nations system in Nigeria and development partners. The event was attended by various state Governors, politicians and development partners. A prize-giving ceremony was conducted by youth organisations to recognise individuals and organisations who had given exceptional support to Nigerian youth in responding to HIV and AIDS. In addition, there was mobilisation, particularly by youth members, of the general public to take advantage of the extra VCT facilities that had been organised in Abuja and its surrounding areas during the period.

Civil society groups in Nigeria recognise the importance of mobilisation days such as 1 December to keep AIDS on the political and public agenda and call for leadership to stop AIDS. “World AIDS Day is important because we still do not have enough awareness out there. It helps to get information out there. Much more still needs to be done and even 1 December itself could be publicised more,” said Ifeanyi Orazuike, Community Coordinator for the National Diversity Network which represents sexual minorities, summing up the feelings of many.

In Nigeria, leaders are still failing in many areas and there is still so much to do. Civil society must mount a sustained campaign and keep the pressure up. Timely planning and some outside assistance, in the form of capacity building and technical assistance will go a long way to realising the potential of the powerful advocacy opportunity offered by World AIDS Day. Certainly the motivation is there. As the People’s AIDS Agenda states, ‘Civil society in Nigeria is determined to shoulder its responsibility to promote human rights and gender issues and advocate for universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support in Nigeria.’