FIC Report (Ebonyi State) – The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has reviewed the Gender and Human Rights response framework in Ebonyi State as part of its efforts to strengthen the protection of vulnerable populations, including people living with HIV (PLHIV), and improve access to justice for victims of rights violations.
The Agency took the review, at the end of its five-day stakeholders’ meeting jointly organized with the Ebonyi State Agency for the Control of AIDS (EBOSACA) in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
Speaking at the end of the programme, the Assistant Chief Programme Officer in the Community Prevention Department of NACA, Mrs. Favour Iyamu-Obi, said the exercise was aimed at assessing the functionality and effectiveness of the Gender and Human Rights Response Team in Ebonyi State.
She said the assessment became necessary to evaluate the team’s achievements, identify existing gaps and challenges, and strengthen its capacity to address human rights violations affecting people living with HIV and other vulnerable groups.
Iyamu-Obi explained that participants were taken through capacity-building sessions designed to refresh their understanding of their roles and responsibilities within the response team.
She noted that the Agency would return to the state later in the year, to evaluate the implementation of the action plans developed during the programme.
She urge the participants to focus on addressing stigma and discrimination and ensure non-discriminatory healthcare services, promoting access to justice, strengthening community mobilisation and advocacy, and leveraging existing laws and policies to tackle human rights violations in the state.
The Executive Secretary of the Ebonyi State Agency for the Control of AIDS, Prince Chibueze Andrew Iteshi, said the programme was a critical intervention aimed at enhancing the state’s response to Gender and Human Rights issues.
He stated that the self-assessment exercise brought together stakeholders from various sectors, including government ministries, security agencies, traditional institutions, religious bodies, civil society organizations, community-based groups, development partners and the media. According to him, protecting human rights requires a coordinated approach involving all relevant actors in society.
Iteshi said the state’s Gender and Human Rights Response Team was established to address rights violations, particularly those affecting people living with HIV, and called for increased funding to support institutions responsible for promoting and protecting human rights.
The EBOSACA boss appealed to the federal and state governments to prioritize budgetary allocations for human rights-related interventions, stressing that effective protection mechanisms would help preserve the dignity and wellbeing of vulnerable citizens.
A representative of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Vice Chairman of the Association in Ebonyi State, Rev. Dr.Joseph Nwibo, said the workshop provided participants with valuable knowledge that would assist religious leaders in combating stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.
Nwibo has called on government and development partners to sustain support for HIV response programmes and ensure that victims of discrimination receive adequate protection.
The workshop also featured presentations and discussions on rights-based approaches to law enforcement, legal literacy, access to justice and strategies for reducing stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and other vulnerable populations.
Participants included representatives of the National Human Rights Commission, security agencies, traditional and religious institutions, civil society organizations, development partners and government ministries, departments and agencies.
They resolved to strengthen collaboration and implement action plans aimed at improving Human Rights protection and promoting an inclusive response to HIV and related health challenges in Ebonyi State.
BAKARE LAURETTA
HOC FIC ABAKALIKI
13/6/2026
