The Media Tour to the 5 target border communities of Oko-Afo, Mowo, Ilogbo, Magbon and Ibiye in the Olorunda area of Badagry Local government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria was quite calculated and purposeful. Like it was meant to be, everyone on the team and of course hosts and people of each community felt and expected how appropriate the pulse of the project has turned.

On the team, were the US Mission (the PEPFAR supervising body) team by led by its Information Officer, Dr. Rudolf Stewart accompanied by the Program Specialist, Mr. Dalhatu Hamza while the FAI team was led by Mr. Funsho Olamigoke, Project Coordinator. The FAI team consisted of all 8 members of the Project Committee while the Media Wallahs included reporters and correspondents from:

• African Independent Television, AIT

• Lagos Television x2 (LTV8 and LWT)

• Silverbird television, STV

• Nigerian television Authourity, NTA (for Lagos Local News and National News)

• EKO 89.75 FM

• Rhythm 93.7 FM

• This Day Newspaper

• The Champion Newspaper

• Tribune Newspaper

• The Sun Newspaper

• The Guardian Newspaper

• The Punch Newspapers

• 2 Freelance Journalists

• Phillip Trimnel Production

Reproduction of Print Reports are available here online and at most of the Media Houses' websites.

The 5 target communities, according to figures released by Mrs. Marian Attah, Head of Department, Agriculture/CDAs (Community Development Associations) have a combined population of 125,738.

The tour which took-off from FAI's Counseling and Media centre in Lagos, drove straight to the then Olorunda Local Government Area Headquarters (now a Development Centre in the Badagry Local Government) where council official, led by the duo of Heads of Department, Agric and Education, thus Mariam Attah and Mr. Duro Akinola respectively, discussed the states of affairs in their various units. Thereafter, Dr. Stewart went straight to the point to speak on the Menace of HIV/AIDS with Peculiarities to Border Communities; offering and emphasizing the need to understand ABC (Abstinence, Being faithful to ones spouse and proper use of the right condom) rules. He reminded the folks however that they need to bear in mind that condom isn't 100% safe and that responsible behaviour is the right attitude.

The team paid an inspection visit to the Badagry General Hospital where its VCT Centre was of primary attention. The BGH, an FAI testing and caring partner made it clear that the 5.0 national Prevalence is a child play compared to what was obtained at the border - town hospital. The lowest average over time at the BGH, according to Mr. Yomi Newton, the hospital's Medical Lab. Scientist, stood at 10% (July 2005) and continues to rise steadily. An average of 30 people come in daily for VCT.

The visits to the target communities which followed that of the BGH was quite eventful. The message of the dreadfulness of HIV/AIDS was taken to traditional ruler and leaders of the communities and indeed, the responses of the people of these communities indicate the lack of proper HIV education, authenticating the need for the project. As a matter of fact, folks at Magbon, more outcoming offered the news of the recent deaths of 4 adults (2 couples) to AIDS, having young children to the community. The community, according to Alhaja Olagunju, a community leader is under the threat of 'extinction' with the level of sex trading going on there, citing the 24/7 brothel close to her home as an example.

Oba Moses Olaleye, the Onilogbo of Ilogbo and the only crowned King of the 5 communities was full of praises for the initiatives and so thanked the US mission and PEPFAR for their funding through FAI. According to him, the project will go a long way to help his people in matters of HIV/AIDS promising to contribute to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The media tour was followed a day after by a proper Media Brief addressed by both Rudolf Stewart, PhD, US Mission Information Officer and Funsho Olamigoke, FAI's Country President. It took place at the US Mission's Media Centre, the USIS, Lagos Location.