Stakeholders have canvassed strengthening of legal framework and policies to protect young people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and promote their access to employment opportunities in the country.

They made the call on Tuesday, during the youth pre-conference session organised by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and Youth Network on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NYNETHA) of the ongoing Civil Society Accountability Forum.

Advocacy and Marketing Manager, AHF, Steve Aborisade, noted the challenges young people living with HIV face in accessing employment, despite their competencies and skills.

He expressed the hope that the meeting would enable stakeholders review the effectiveness of existing legal and policy frameworks to make Adolescents and Young People Living with HIV (AYPLHIV) secure gainful employment.

Acting Director, Policy Planning & Coordination Department, National Agency for the Control of AIDs (NACA), Dr Yinka Falola, said 300 cases of discrimination against persons with HIV were recently reported, with 80 per cent of them already resolved.

“It is a work in progress to ensure we bring and remove all barriers affecting job opportunities for persons with HIV,” she promised.
HIV Technical Expert and OSH Coordinator, ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra-Leone, Dr. Runo Onosode, encouraged the affected victims to key into digital transformation in line with global trends to enable them get opportunities to thrive.

Mr. Abdulkadir Ibrahim of Network of People Living with HIV and AIDs in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) stressed the need for legal protection to address stigmatisation and discrimination against persons with HIV in the workforce.

He also encouraged the affected Nigerians to explore other options, rather than wait for white collar jobs.

Senior Programme and Evaluation Officer, Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS (NiBUCCA), Opeyemi Yekini, advised persons with HIV to report any incident of discrimination and stigmatisation at the workforce.