Despite the occasional statements by Obasanjo and few of his aides, the potential destructive effect of AIDS is yet to permeate the consciousness of the average Nigerian. Today, that distinction is reserved for high decibel clamors for a sovereign conference, the legal fight for resource control, the fight over Sharia, the high stakes political and economic struggles over proposed deregulation of the petroleum sector, and the subterranean quest for a second term of office by elected officials. The culture of silence and stigma about AIDS is widespread. Nigeria was recently in the international spotlight because a high court judge reportedly stopped an AIDS discrimination suit to ascertain if the presence of the infected plaintiff put the entire courtroom in jeopardy. This culture of silence extends even to the estimated 971,472 Nigerian AIDS orphans.
Poverty is endemic in Nigeria.
As noted recently in a lecture by the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, Nigeria had moved from being the 50 th nation in the league of well-off nations to the current ranking of 176 out of 206 nations. Today, the giant of Africa is officially classified as one of the 31 poorest nations on earth, with nearly 70 percent of its citizens living in poverty. AIDS thrives and wallows in poverty-ridden communities. Nigeria is a safe haven for gateway health conditions for HIV infection. STDs facilitate the transmission of HIV, and malnutrition weakens the immune system, giving the virus a foothold in the body.