By SkyDNews
The National Secretariat of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) has suspended all its Global Fund-related activities in Bauchi State and ordered the indefinite closure of its state chapter, citing what it described as a worsening governance crisis, internal factionalism, leadership disputes and alleged interference in the affairs of the organisation.
In a letter signed by Abdulkadir Ibrahim, National Coordinator/CEO of NEPWHAN, and dated 21 August 2026, the National Secretariat directed the Bauchi State Coordinator, Mr. Abdullahi Ibrahim, to immediately communicate the decision to Community-Based Organisations, Mentor Mothers, Community Rights Advocates, state staff and other structures operating under NEPWHAN's Global Fund-supported programmes in the state.
According to the letter received by SkyDNews, the decision was taken in response to what the National Secretariat called a "persistent governance crisis" involving internal factionalism, conflicts of interest, leadership disputes and continued interference in NEPWHAN's affairs by the Bauchi State Government through the Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Malaria (BACATMA).
NEPWHAN said the situation had gone beyond an ordinary internal disagreement and was beginning to pose risks to the integrity, accountability and implementation of its programmes, as well as its reputation among donors, partners and affected communities.
With the suspension taking effect immediately, all NEPWHAN-funded Global Fund activities in Bauchi are to remain on hold indefinitely. The National Secretariat also directed that no new activity, training, field visit, meeting, community intervention or programme expenditure should be undertaken in NEPWHAN's name without written approval from the national office.
The directive goes further to stop the disbursement of programme funds to the Bauchi State Chapter or any structure operating under its authority. Salaries, stipends, allowances, reimbursements and other programme-related payments to Community Rights Advocates, Mentor Mothers, state staff, CBOs and other personnel attached to the suspended operations are also to remain suspended pending further directives.
For NEPWHAN, the dispute is fundamentally about where authority over the organisation's leadership and internal affairs lies.
The National Secretariat stated that NEPWHAN is a legally registered national civil society organisation governed by its constitution and established governance structures. It consequently maintained that the authority of state chapters derives from the national network and that no state chapter operates as an independent governance entity outside the authority of NEPWHAN's national structures.
The letter specifically states that the appointment, removal, suspension, recognition or reinstatement of NEPWHAN state officials must follow the organisation's constitutional and administrative processes. It also argues that no state government ministry, agency, committee or other external body has the authority to appoint, remove, recognise or otherwise determine NEPWHAN's leadership.
The National Secretariat, however, acknowledged the importance of its collaboration with BACATMA and other government stakeholders in the delivery of HIV programmes.
It said the problem arises when programme collaboration appears to extend into the organisation's internal governance.
"Programme collaboration does not create or confer authority over NEPWHAN's internal governance," the letter stated.
NEPWHAN said it was particularly concerned about actions attributed to BACATMA which, in its view, appeared to extend beyond programme coordination into issues concerning the network's internal leadership and governance. The National Secretariat described such alleged interference as unacceptable and said it could undermine the constitutional independence and institutional integrity of the organisation.
The matter, according to the letter, has now been escalated to the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), which NEPWHAN described as the appropriate oversight structure within the Global Fund architecture in Nigeria. The organisation said it would await the outcome of that engagement before deciding on its next administrative and programme steps.
While the dispute may appear, at first glance, to be an internal organisational matter, its potential consequences could extend well beyond the people involved in the disagreement.
The suspension affects the machinery through which NEPWHAN's Global Fund-supported activities are implemented in Bauchi, including Community-Based Organisations, Mentor Mothers, Community Rights Advocates and other programme personnel. If the suspension continues for an extended period, beneficiaries could potentially experience delays or interruptions in community-level support and other services connected to the affected programmes.
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The notice itself acknowledges this risk, warning that continued instability could undermine programme implementation and disrupt services to beneficiaries, while also exposing donor resources to unacceptable risks and damaging NEPWHAN's credibility with the Global Fund, government partners, implementing partners and affected communities.
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At the same time, the National Secretariat appears to be saying that continuing programmes in an environment it considers administratively unstable could create an even greater risk.
That is why the letter places considerable emphasis on accountability during the suspension. Individuals and organisations connected to the affected programmes have been directed to preserve NEPWHAN and Global Fund records, documents, assets, data, devices, registers and financial records. They are also expected to cooperate with any verification, investigation, audit, reconciliation or administrative review initiated by the National Secretariat or its authorised representatives.
The suspension, NEPWHAN stressed, does not cancel the accountability obligations of staff, CBOs, state officers, Community Rights Advocates, Mentor Mothers or other implementing partners.
The organisation has also warned that anyone who spends NEPWHAN funds, enters into commitments in its name, continues suspended activities or presents unauthorised persons as NEPWHAN officials could face further disciplinary, administrative, contractual or legal action.
For now, there is no indication in the notice of a definite date for reopening the Bauchi chapter or restarting the suspended activities. Instead, NEPWHAN said the suspension will remain in place until the National Secretariat is satisfied that the governance and operational problems have been properly addressed and that a credible framework for resuming activities is in place.
Even then, resumption will not happen automatically; the National Secretariat says it must issue a separate written directive before operations can restart.
The development therefore leaves an important question hanging over Bauchi: how quickly can the governance dispute be resolved without allowing the disagreement to negatively affect the people and communities who depend on HIV-related interventions?
For the beneficiaries, the issue is bigger than who controls an organisation or who occupies a leadership position. It is about continuity, access and trust. For NEPWHAN and its partners, it is equally about ensuring that donor-supported programmes are implemented within a structure that is accountable, transparent and constitutionally sound.
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As the matter moves to the CCM and other relevant authorities, stakeholders will be watching closely to see whether dialogue can resolve the dispute and restore programme activities without compromising the governance principles NEPWHAN says it is determined to protect.
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