The Lagos State Government says it will become the first sub-national government in Nigeria to independently procure antiretroviral medicines for people living with HIV, with the first shipment expected to arrive before the end of August.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, Folakemi Animashaun, announced the development on Thursday during a press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, where she also challenged a recent report by the Federal Ministry of Health, which ranked Lagos as the state with the highest number of new HIV infections in Nigeria.

Animashaun described the state’s procurement of HIV medicines as a landmark step towards reducing dependence on international donors and guaranteeing uninterrupted access to treatment.