Ibadan, April 9, 2026 (NAN)The Oyo State Government has reiterated its commitment to strengthening coordination and improving HIV/AIDS interventions across the state.
In a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr Dotun Oyelade, made available to journalists in Ibadan, the government underscored critical roles of non-governmental actors in driving community-level HIV response.
Oyelade quoted the Coordinating Director, Oyo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OYSACA), Dr Wale Falana, as saying this during a stakeholders meeting on Wednesday in Ibadan.
Falana said that government’s commitment would be obvious to all with the support of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), and key population networks
“OYSACA, as the government-mandated coordinating body established by law, is responsible for overseeing and harmonising all HIV/AIDS-related activities in the state,” he said.
The coordinator explained that the agency was empowered to register and coordinate all CBOs and NGOs working on HIV/AIDS, in line with national guidelines that provide for structured coordination mechanisms.
According to him, effective engagement and coordination of these organisations are essential to ensuring a unified and impactful response to the HIV epidemic.
He stressed the need to resuscitate and strengthen existing coordination platforms to promote best practices, eliminate duplication of efforts, and ensure optimal utilization of resources.
The OYSACA director further highlighted the framework of the agency-CSOs Networks Forum, designed to serve as a platform for coordination, information sharing, and performance review among stakeholders.
Falana explained that the forum aimed to bring together representatives from recognised national networks and relevant stakeholders.
He said that the partnership coordination department of OYSACA would chair the forum, while the agency serves as its secretariat.
Falana explained that the forum would meet quarterly, with provisions for emergency meetings when necessary, to assess progress, address challenges, and strengthen strategic alignment among stakeholders.
The coordinator listed core responsibilities of the forum to include facilitating interaction between OYSACA and CSOs, assessing implementation of work plans, identifying capacity gaps, providing technical guidance and reviewing performance in HIV response.
He said that other responsibility included to ensure effective dissemination of information from key coordination platforms such as the state council on AIDS.”
Falana also called on all stakeholders to deepen collaboration and sustain collective efforts toward reducing the burden of HIV/AIDS in the state.
