By Obianuju Isima

The Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA) and the Anambra State Small Business Agency (ASBA) have begun discussions aimed at creating stronger economic empowerment and livelihood opportunities for people living with HIV (PLHIV) across the state.

The partnership engagement, held on Sept. 8 at the ASBA office in Awka, explored practical ways of linking qualified members of the PLHIV community with entrepreneurship training, business clusters, cooperatives and credit facilities to improve their economic independence.

Representing the Executive Director of ANSACA, Dr. Nkem Okeke, the Unit Lead, Grant Writing and Proposal Development, Mr. Paschal Igbokwe, led the agency’s team highlighted the economic challenges confronting some people living with HIV, particularly the effects of stigma and discrimination, unemployment and inadequate access to business capital.

The team explained that such challenges could undermine the ability of affected individuals to establish or sustain businesses and provide adequately for themselves and their families, stressing the need to integrate economic empowerment into the broader HIV response.

Responding, the Acting Managing Director of ASBA, Barr. Nonso Emeka, welcomed the initiative and assured ANSACA of the agency’s willingness to support qualified members of the community within its mandate.

Barr. Emeka said ASBA works primarily in enterprise and business development, supporting individuals, business clusters and cooperatives across sectors such as agriculture, tailoring, garment making and shoemaking.

He encouraged people living with HIV who own functional businesses or have relevant entrepreneurial skills to form or join viable cooperatives, noting that such structures could provide better access to business support and available credit opportunities.

The Acting Managing Director highlighted entrepreneurship training programmes available through ASBA and its partners, including the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), which provides training in business development, financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

He clarified that ASBA does not provide general grants but offers business facilities and low-interest credit opportunities to eligible individuals, clusters and cooperatives who satisfy the required conditions.

Barr. Emeka assured the ANSACA team that the agency would communicate upcoming entrepreneurship training programmes and other relevant opportunities to ANSACA, while giving special consideration to qualified members of the agency’s community whenever suitable slots become available.

The engagement ended with a commitment by both agencies to maintain communication and strengthen pathways for qualified PLHIV to access legitimate economic opportunities.

ANSACA appreciated ASBA management for its openness and willingness to collaborate, describing the engagement as an important step toward addressing socioeconomic barriers that can affect people living with HIV.

The initiative reinforces the importance of combining HIV prevention, treatment and stigma reduction with sustainable livelihood opportunities, enabling people living with HIV to build stronger businesses, support their families and contribute meaningfully to the development of Anambra State.