Lagos State recorded the highest number of new HIV infections in Nigeria in 2025, according to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s State of the Health of the Nation Report 2025.
The report showed that Nigeria recorded 102,025 new HIV infections during the year, underscoring the continued challenge of preventing the spread of the virus despite years of expanded access to testing and treatment.
States with the Highest Number of New HIV Infections in 2025
- Lagos – 10,430
- Rivers – 6,287
- Kano – 6,106
- Akwa Ibom – 5,413
- Taraba – 4,854
- Benue – 4,804
- Anambra – 4,468
- Kaduna – 3,659
- Adamawa – 2,989
- Federal Capital Territory (FCT) – 2,764
- 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
States with the Lowest Number of New HIV Infections in 2025
- Ekiti – 462
- Bayelsa – 982
- Gombe – 1,083
- Osun – 1,093
- Kwara – 1,371
- Enugu – 1,429
- Yobe – 1,483
- Katsina – 1,541
- Kebbi – 1,572
The figures come as Nigeria continues to operate one of the world’s largest HIV treatment programmes. The programme provides free HIV testing, antiretroviral therapy, prevention of mother-to-child transmission services and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through health facilities across the country. 
Nigeria has also committed to the global 95-95-95 targets. The initiative aims to ensure that by 2030, 95 per cent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 per cent of those diagnosed receive sustained treatment, and 95 per cent of people on treatment achieve viral suppression.
Despite those efforts, health authorities say preventing new infections remains one of the country’s biggest challenges. Adolescents, young people, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups continue to account for a significant share of new cases.
UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima recently urged governments to sustain investment in HIV prevention and treatment, warning that the global HIV epidemic remains far from over.
In Nigeria, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has also called for increased domestic funding and stronger community-based interventions to maintain progress in the country’s HIV response.
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