A consultant urologist and former president of the Private Medical Practitioners Association of Nigeria, Dr Gabriel Ogah, has issued a stern warning against the planned introduction of a new HIV prevention injection in Nigeria, labelling the initiative a “scam” and urging the National Agency for the Control of AIDS to block its rollout.
The drug, lenacapavir, marketed in the United States as Yeztugo by Gilead Sciences, is a twice-yearly HIV prevention injection. Reports suggest it could be introduced in Nigeria at an annual cost of about $40, which is less than N70,000 per patient.
He made the call in an exclusive interview with PUNCH, where he (Dr Ogah) expressed grave concerns about the motivation behind the drug’s promotion in Africa, questioning the sudden benevolence of Western organisations.
“This sounds too good to be true,” Ogah stated, drawing a parallel to a previously contested malaria vaccine plan. “Are you aware that there was a plan to manufacture a malaria vaccine in Burkina Faso? That vaccine, I can tell you, would have rendered Nigerian women sterile. Many people do not know the truth. The West has lost its technological advantage to China and the East. They now want to dominate biological science, cloning and related fields because it is a billion-dollar industry.”
When asked if his assertions sounded like a conspiracy theory, the doctor was resolute in his position. “It is not a conspiracy theory,” he countered. “Why are they suddenly so interested in ‘immunising’ us against HIV? HIV rates in Nigeria have drastically reduced. I am a surgeon; before I operate on any patient, I must conduct an HIV test. About 15 years ago, I used to get many positive cases. In the past six years, I have not seen a single HIV-positive patient. If the incidence has dropped so significantly, why are they pushing this medication on us?”
Dr Ogah argued that the fundamental drivers of HIV in Nigeria are socio-economic, not a lack of pharmaceutical interventions. He insisted that investment in the country’s economy would be a more effective solution than distributing a new, costly medication. “The real problems driving unprotected sex in Nigeria are poverty and underemployment. In a country where the minimum wage is N70,000, and some states are not even paying, how does it make sense to tell people to pay N70,000 for this medication? Some may argue that the government will subsidise it. But if the government has N70,000 to spend per person, why not invest that money in infrastructure and economic growth so that people are not forced into prostitution for survival?”
He further elaborated on his deep-seated distrust of the international organisations championing the drug’s rollout. “They are behind many of these vaccine alliances, but their motives are questionable. The real agenda is to immunise Nigerian women in a way that eventually renders them infertile. During fertility treatments like IVF, a woman’s ovaries are stimulated to produce many eggs. These people then buy excess ova, which are taken to their labs for all sorts of experiments.” He pointed to the Law of Similar Evidence to justify his scepticism, referencing past controversies like the meningitis vaccine trial in Kano and the introduction of genetically modified crops. “These are the same people who tried to introduce genetically modified crops in Nigeria. If someone has done something insincere in the past, what guarantee do you have that they will be sincere now?”
Addressing the argument that lenacapavir is simply a new form of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, similar to daily oral pills already in use, Dr Ogah dismissed the views of experts supporting the injection. “It’s not just another injection. Other things could be introduced without your knowledge… Those people are speaking out of ignorance or acting as accessories to a scam.” He was unequivocal in his directive to NACA, stating, “NACA should reject it. We don’t want it. We don’t want any HIV-prevention medication from these organisations, as they are not trustworthy. If a dubious person offers something and you don’t feel comfortable taking it, should you be forced? That is my point. They must be trustworthy before we can consider accepting anything. They have proven themselves untrustworthy, especially in the Nigerian context.”
When challenged on his stance as a medical professional who should trust scientific advancement, Ogah clarified that his perspective is informed by a understanding of global affairs and neocolonialism. “I speak this way because I understand international affairs. Africa is backwards because of neocolonialism, which uses subtle methods to keep us down. The African gene is dominant; only Africa has the complete mitochondrial DNA, L0 to L7, while the rest of the world has only L3. If someone wants genes for cloning, where else would they get them but Africa?” He concluded by criticising the economic model of the intervention. “I don’t trust benevolence. The people championing it are not trustworthy. Someone cannot claim a medication costs $28,000 in the United States and sell it here for $40… I don’t trust it.”
For Nigerians concerned about HIV prevention, Dr Ogah advocated for proven, non-pharmaceutical methods. “Anyone who is sexually active should practice safe sex. Use condoms and other preventive measures against HIV and STIs. Avoid multiple partners. Follow these guidelines and forget this medication. No medication is 100 per cent effective, and despite any claims, this injection could do more harm than good. Its risks are being hidden. There are no shortcuts.”
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