Lagos tops Nigeria's HIV cases: top 10 states in Nigeria with the highest HIV infections

• Lagos recorded 10,430 new HIV infections, the highest among Nigeria's 36 states and the FCT in 2025.

• Nigeria reported a total of 102,025 new HIV infections during the year, according to the Federal Ministry of Health.

• Rivers, Kano, Akwa Ibom, Taraba and Benue ranked among the states with the highest number of new HIV infections.

• Health experts say the figures represent newly reported cases and should not be interpreted as the overall HIV prevalence in each state.

Lagos State recorded the highest number of newly reported HIV infections in Nigeria in 2025, with 10,430 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 that 102,025 new HIV infections were recorded across Nigeria's 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) during the year, highlighting the continued burden of the virus despite ongoing prevention and treatment efforts. 

According to the ministry's state-by-state breakdown, Rivers State ranked second with 6,287 new infections, followed by Kano State with 6,106.

Other states with high numbers of newly recorded HIV infections include Akwa Ibom (5,413), Taraba (4,854), Benue (4,804), Anambra (4,468), Kaduna (3,659), Adamawa (2,989) and the Federal Capital Territory (2,764). 

1. Lagos – 10,430

2. Rivers – 6,287

3. Kano – 6,106

4. Akwa Ibom – 5,413

5. Taraba – 4,854

6. Benue – 4,804

7. Anambra – 4,468

8. Kaduna – 3,659

9. Adamawa – 2,989

10. Federal Capital Territory – 2,764

The report also identified several other states that recorded more than 2,000 new HIV infections during the year. These include:

• 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

• Ebonyi – 2,015

At the lower end of the ranking, Ekiti State recorded the fewest newly reported HIV infections with 462 cases. It was followed by Bayelsa (982), Gombe (1,083), Osun (1,093), Kwara (1,371), Enugu (1,429), Yobe (1,483), Katsina (1,541) and Kebbi (1,572). 

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The report provides a snapshot of the geographical distribution of newly reported HIV infections across the country and comes amid renewed calls by health experts for sustained investment in HIV prevention, testing and treatment programmes.

While Lagos recorded the highest number of new infections, experts note that the figures reflect newly reported cases, not the overall HIV prevalence in each state. Factors such as population size, urbanisation and access to HIV testing services can influence the number of cases detected. Nigeria's national adult HIV prevalence remains about 1.3%, with an estimated 1.9 million people living with HIV, according to the National Agency for the Control of AIDS.