Nigeria sees sharp decline in HIV cases, hotspots persist in Lagos, Benue

…Women dominate new infections across major age groups

…Experts advocate for targeted interventions as disparities widen

Nigeria has seen a sharp decline in new HIV infections nationwide, but new data has identified Lagos State and Benue State as persistent hot spots, with health experts warning that uneven progress could undermine recent progress.

The latest data released Wednesday by the National Data Repository showed that while the country is making strides in controlling the virus, new infections remain disproportionately concentrated in certain states and among vulnerable populations, particularly young women.

According to the report, Nigeria is moving closer to global HIV targets 95-95-95, with 95% of people living with HIV now aware of their status.

He added that a similar proportion are currently receiving treatment, with no fewer than 1,657,173 patients accessing treatment in 1,997 health facilities nationwide.

The data also indicated that 95% of patients on treatment achieved viral suppression, reflecting improved adherence and effectiveness of ongoing intervention programs.

Despite these improvements, the report identified Lagos State as recording the highest number of new infections with 2,342 cases, followed by Benue State with 1,956. Other high burden states include Rivers State (1,185), Akwa Ibom State (1,155) and Anambra State (1,023).

In contrast, states such as Sokoto State, Yobe State and Zamfara State recorded the lowest number of new infections.

Analyzing the regional distribution, the South-West is the country with the highest burden with 4,628 cases, followed by the South-South with 3,942.

The South East recorded 2,691 cases, while the North East and North West recorded 2,863 and 2,132 cases respectively.

In the Federal Capital Territory, 679 cases have been recorded.

The report highlighted stark gender disparities, highlighting that women, especially young women, accounted for the majority of new infections across almost all age groups, while children aged between five and nine had the lowest incidence.

Further analysis of a ten-year trend showed a fluctuating pattern in new infections, rising from 228,014 cases in 2016 to a peak of 464,355 in 2020, before falling sharply to 21,389 in 2026. This represents a 90.8% decline from the 111,513 cases recorded in 2025.

Other annual figures include 237,756 in 2017; 215,231 in 2018; 27,181 in 2019; 451,402 in 2021; 330,690 in 2022; 238,748 in 2023; and 143,666 in 2024.

On treatment coverage, Benue State (191,225), Akwa Ibom State (142,216) and Lagos State (137,006) recorded the highest number of patients receiving treatment, while Sokoto State (9,068) and Ekiti State (12,271) had the lowest figures.

At a regional level, the South-South leads in therapeutic coverage, followed by the South-West, while the North-West lags behind.

The NDR, however, warns that the persistence of higher infection rates among women and in specific states highlights the urgent need for targeted, age- and region-specific interventions.

He warned that without intensified efforts focused on high burden areas and vulnerable groups, Nigeria’s progress towards eliminating HIV as a public health threat could stall.

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