As part of activities marking the Zero Discrimination Day (ZDD) 2026, a non-governmental organization, Initiative for Grassroot Advancement (INGRA) has appealed to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to assent to the Kogi State HIV Anti-Stigmatisation Bill.
Addressing a press conference in Lokoja on Monday, Executive Director of INGRA, Hamza Aliyu, said Zero Discrimination Day, led globally by UNAIDS, harps on the persistent discrimination faced by people living with and at risk of HIV.
He noted that this discrimination undermines access to health services, violates human rights, and slows progress toward ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Aliyu said stigma is not a peripheral issue but a structural barrier to prevention, treatment, and care.
“The evidence is clear: HIV-related stigma and discrimination put lives at risk. Nearly one in four people living with HIV report experiencing stigma, including in healthcare settings.
“Additionally, 85% report internalized stigma, fear, shame, and self-blame that prevent many from seeking testing, disclosing their status, or remaining on treatment.
“Stigma is not a peripheral issue. It is a structural barrier to prevention, treatment, and care. In Kogi State, as in many parts of Nigeria, discrimination manifests in subtle and overt ways, through denial of services, workplace bias, social exclusion, and breaches of confidentiality.
“Fear of rejection leads many people to conceal their status or interrupt life-saving treatment. This increases vulnerability, fuels transmission, and undermines public health investments,” he said.
Aliyu noted that the passage of the Kogi State HIV Anti-Stigmatization Bill by the House of Assembly represented a bold and commendable step toward addressing these challenges.
However, the Bill must now receive the Governor’s assent to become law and provide enforceable protections for residents of Kogi state.
“By assenting to this Bill, Governor Ododo would strengthen legal protection against HIV-related discrimination, promote safer and more inclusive healthcare environments, support increased testing and treatment adherence.
“As Zero Discrimination Day 2026 is commemorated, Kogi State has an opportunity to stand on the side of justice, dignity, and public health.
“Also, it will align Kogi state with national and global commitments to end AIDS by 2030. Demonstrate people-centered leadership consistent with the 2026 Zero Discrimination Day theme: ‘People First’,” he stated.
INGRA emphasized that putting people first means ensuring that no one is treated as “less than” because of their HIV status, creating health systems where individuals can access testing, treatment, and care without fear.
“It means protecting workers from discrimination and ensuring confidentiality in medical services. It means listening to the voices of people living with HIV and translating those voices into action.
“We therefore respectfully urge His Excellency to promptly assent to the Kogi State HIV Anti-Stigmatization Bill and support public awareness campaigns to educate citizens about the new law once enacted,” he said.
Aliyu urged Governor Ododo, after assenting the bill, to direct relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to ensure effective implementation and enforcement.
Addressing newsmen at the press conference, Amb. Muraina Idris Ozovehe of Civil Society for HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN), reiterated calls for assent to the anti-stigmatization bill.
He said discrimination and stigmatization by religious and other institutions must be criminalized.
“All of us are affected by HIV and AIDS one way or the other,” he said.
Amb. Muraina noted that since funding is drying up, civil society actors must build a system that can work on its own.
Kogi State Coordinator, Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS, Comrade Jimoh Audu, commended the state government for creating enabling environment for patients to get adequate care.
He noted of most of HIV/AIDS patients in the state are viral suppressed with low possibility of infecting others because of effective health care in the state.
Audu expressed optimism that by 2030 HIV and AIDS will be a thing of the past.
“People living with HIV are not second class citizens of the state. We are in all sectors, contributing meaningfully to the society,” he said.
Audu added his voice to calls on Governor Ododo to assent the anti-stigmatization bill and improved funding for Kogi State Agency for the Control of AIDS (KOSACA), which is solely responsible for their care.
