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.
Top 10 states with the highest new HIV infections
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. Akwa Ibom recorded 5,413 new cases, Taraba 4,854, Benue 4,804, Anambra 4,468, Kaduna 3,659, Adamawa 2,989, and the Federal Capital Territory 2,764.
Other states with over 2,000 new infections
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), and Ebonyi (2,015).
States with the lowest new infections
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).
Expert insights on the data
Health experts say the figures represent newly reported cases and should not be interpreted as 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.
