Expanding Access to HIV Self-Testing in Nigeria
A national communications and demand creation campaign under the SHIPS (Strengthening HIV Self-Testing in the Private Sector) project.
Organisation: Society for Family Health, Nigeria
About the Project
The SHIPS project was designed to expand the private sector market for HIV self-testing (HIVST) in Nigeria, with a strong public health impact. Funded as part of a broader self-care campaign, the project focused on driving awareness, demand, and uptake of HIVST kits through evidence-based communication and market activation strategies.
As Communications Manager, I led the national rollout of the project’s communications and demand creation activities, with a focus on increasing awareness, accessibility, and usage of HIVST kits particularly among youth and underserved communities.
The Challenge
- Low awareness and trust in HIVST products in the private sector
- Misinformation and stigma around self-testing for HIV
- Barriers to sales and uptake at Pharmacies and Patent & Proprietary Medicine Vendors
- Limited engagement of young people in HIV prevention campaigns
- Need for a strong digital and offline presence to scale reach nationally
The Objectives
Drive awareness of HIV self-testing among youth and communities
Increase uptake of HIV self-testing kits through digital tools (WhatsApp Chatbot, toll-free line)
Boost sales of HIV self-testing kits in pharmacies and through Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors
Encourage both unassisted and assisted HIVST
The Approach
1️. Communications & Digital Media Strategy
- Designed and implemented a multi-channel communications strategy targeting both digital and offline audiences
- Produced audience-specific content in formats including video, carousel posts, infographics, radio jingles, and print
- Managed digital campaigns on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok with social listening tools (Pulsar, Sprout Social)
Results (6 months):
- Reach: 508,425
- Impressions: 2.4M+
- HIVST Awareness Boost: +73%
2️. Community Activation Strategy
- Designed and led community marketing events in 30 LGAs across Lagos and Abuja
- Engaged ~34,000 individuals directly with live demos, branded materials, peer advocacy, and media
- Leveraged human-centered design research to inform campaign design and improve relevance
3️. Strategic Partnerships & E-Commerce
- Collaborated with myPaddi (Nigeria’s largest SRH e-commerce platform)
- Used targeted digital promotion and placement strategies to increase online kit sales by 40%
- Created tailored messaging to drive conversion among platform users
4️. Data-Driven Insights & Adaptive Communications
- Led 60+ focus group discussions, 40+ in-depth interviews, and analyzed 1,000+ survey responses
- Used insights to refine creative messaging and adapt campaigns in real time
- Coordinated with program officers and creative teams (graphic designers, motion designer, copywriter) to ensure message alignment across all channels
5️. Budget & Team Leadership
- Managed a $200,000 demand creation budget efficiently
- Oversaw a virtual content creation team of 4 and collaborated with 8 cross-functional colleagues
- Ensured timely delivery of all content assets and campaign milestones
Impact & Results
- Increased HIVST awareness and reach by 73%
- Boosted online HIVST sales by 40%
- Achieved over 2.4M impressions and engaged hundreds of thousands through social media
- Reached 34,000+ individuals in person through grassroots events
- Established a replicable model for HIV prevention campaigns that integrate self-care, digital, and community-driven approaches
Want to Work Together?
I specialise in strategic communications for public health and social impact, combining storytelling, digital strategy, and human-centred design to deliver measurable change. Let’s talk.