ABUJA, NIGERIA, 14th January 2025:  The Nigeria Key Population Health and Rights Network (NKPHRN) has announced a successful and harmonious transition of leadership, following a duly constituted process concluded on December 19, 2025. This transition marks a significant milestone for the Network as it continues to evolve as a cornerstone of community-led advocacy in Africa.

Established in 2018, NKPHRN is the oldest national Key Population (KP) consortium in Africa. For nearly a decade, it has served as a pioneering coordination platform, uniting networks of sex workers, transgender persons, men who have sex with men (MSM), and people who use drugs (PWUD) to advance health equity and human rights.

Reflecting a Multi-Constituency Character

The newly constituted leadership reflects NKPHRN’s commitment to inclusive representation and a seamless handover of stewardship. The current leadership is as follows:

• Chairperson: Josephine Aseme, representing the Sex Workers’ Network, succeeding George Onyema of the Network of People Who Use Drugs (NPUD). She also assumes representation of the Sex Workers’ Network, taking over from Maria Okwoli.
• Co-Chair: Bethel Onyekidikachi, representing the MSM constituency, succeeding Peter Kass.
• Co-Chair: Patrick Eneyo, representing the Nigeria Network of People Who Use Drugs (NNPUD), succeeding George Onyema, who served as the immediate past NKPHRN Chairperson.
• Co-Chair: Abayomi Aka, representing the Transgender constituency, succeeding Amarachi Brian.

A Collective Vision: Harmony, Synergy, and Service

The new leadership assumes office at a time of significant change in the health and development architecture, both in Nigeria and globally. Shifts in donor financing models, evolving approaches to health systems integration, increased emphasis on domestic resource mobilization, and growing pressures on civic space are reshaping how community-led responses are financed, governed, and sustained. In this context, NKPHRN underscores the importance of stable governance, strong community leadership, and effective collaboration to safeguard progress and advance equitable outcomes for key populations.

Despite these shallenges the incoming leadership is high on gear and dedicated to a spirit of collaboration, service to the KP Community in Nigeria and sustaining harmony in diversity. The team has articulated a collective vision centered on several key pillars:

• Inclusive Intersectionality: An advocacy model recognizing overlapping identities ensuring sex workers are recognized within broader feminist spaces, and that MSM, transgender women and people who use drugs are centered in all health and rights dialogues.
• Strengthened Internal Harmony: The establishment of a Standing Internal Conflict Resolution Committee to ensure the Network remains a resilient family where disagreements are resolved through peaceful dialogue and mutual respect.
• Regional Synergy and Learning: Deepening engagement with regional bodies and transnational collaborations especially KP-TNC to push for policy reforms that promote safety and the decriminalization of KP identities.
• Innovation and Accessibility: Ensuring that the latest HIV prevention options and biomedical trials are accessible and affordable for all community members.

Honoring a Legacy of Resilience and Wisdom

As the new team assumes its mandate, they have paid a special tribute to the immediate past leadership for their insightful and courageous stewardship. Having navigated a period of great difficulty with immense wisdom, the outgoing leaders successfully preserved the integrity of the Network during challenging shifts in the country’s health and human rights landscape.

The progress achieved since 2018 is viewed by the current leaders as a testament to the courage and dedication of those who came before them. They have stated that they stand on the shoulders of these predecessors as they begin this new term, committed to upholding the values of community stewardship that were established before them.

The new leadership acknowledges that it stands on the shoulders of giants who have put lots of efforts in strengthening  the Network to-date. They are profoundly grateful for the foundation laid by their predecessors, whose resilience and strategic vision ensured that NKPHRN remained a beacon of hope for the Nigerian KP Community community. The new team is honored to take up this mantle and continue the journey so ably led by the outgoing administration.

Moving Forward Together

The new Steering Committee looks forward to continuing the warm and productive relationships of NKPHRN with all partners, donors, and allies. The Network remains open and eager to engage in collaborative efforts that strengthen the health and rights of marginalized communities. In the spirit of a smooth and supportive transition, the Network invites stakeholders to direct future inquiries and collaborative initiatives to the current Secretariat. The new leadership is eager to work alongside the global and national community to achieve the shared goals of health, rights, and dignity for all.