Strengthening Nigeria's Response to HIV/AIDS Program

The Strengthening Nigeria's Response to HIV/AIDS Program (SNR) aimed to reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS in Nigeria by increasing the capacity of the public and private sectors and civil society organizations to coordinate a multisectoral response to HIV and AIDS at national, state and local levels. SNR worked in Benue, Cross River, Enugu, the Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna, and Nasarawa from 2004 to 2009.

Funded by the UK Department for International Development, SNR was jointly implemented by Family Health International, ActionAID International Nigeria, and Voluntary Service Overseas. Chief among SNR's many successes was its support of State Action Committees on AIDS (SACAs) to assess and then strengthen their institutional capacities. As a result of this work, five SACAs achieved agency status, meaning they now receive funding directly from the national government and have greatly expanded their program coverage.

At the national level, SNR helped Nigeria's National Agency for the Control of AIDS to develop the Roadmap Towards Repositioning the HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluating System in Nigeria. At the national and state levels, SNR helped advocate for a legal and policy environment supportive of people living with HIV. This led to legislation that created gender-sensitive stigma reduction and workplace policies. At the local level, SNR supported interventions that 'transformed mindsets' held toward people living with HIV.

A 15-minute video presentation presents SNR's approaches and results in the words of Project Director Christy Laniyan and other key implementing staff.

SNR's end-of-project report offers an overview and summary of SNR's main achievements. Other key SNR tools and publications include lessons learned and training materials.