Nigeria recorded 102,025 new HIV infections across its 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in 2025, with Lagos State accounting for the highest number of new cases, according to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s State of the Health of the Nation Report 2025.
The report showed Lagos recorded 10,430 new infections, followed by Rivers with 6,287 and Kano with 6,106. Akwa Ibom reported 5,413 cases, while Taraba (4,854), Benue (4,804), Anambra (4,468), Kaduna (3,659), Adamawa (2,989) and the FCT (2,764) completed the top 10 states with the highest number of new infections.
Other states with more than 2,000 new cases included Cross River (2,595), Sokoto (2,592), Abia (2,546), Imo (2,537), Delta (2,469), Borno (2,311), Ogun (2,107), Plateau (2,084), Niger (2,020) and Ebonyi (2,015).
At the lower end of the scale were Ekiti with 462 new infections, Bayelsa (982), Gombe (1,083), Osun (1,093), Kwara (1,371), Enugu (1,429), Yobe (1,483), Katsina (1,541) and Kebbi (1,572).
The figures highlight that HIV remains a major public health challenge despite Nigeria operating one of the world’s largest
HIV treatment programmes and expanding access to free testing, antiretroviral therapy, prevention ot mother-to-child transmission services and pre-exposure prophylaxis.
The Federal Government has also adopted the global 95-95-95 targets aimed at ensuring most people living with HIV know their status, receive treatment and achieve viral suppression by 2030.
However, health experts have warned that reducing new infections remains difficult, especially among young people, adolescent girls, infants exposed to HIV and other high-risk groups.
UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima recently cautioned that “HIV is not over,” urging governments to sustain investments in prevention, testing and treatment, while NACA Director-General Dr Temitope Ilori has stressed the need for stronger domestic funding and community-led interventions to prevent a resurgence of infections.
