The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) has clarified a recent misunderstanding regarding HIV statistics.
Reports suggesting that Lagos recorded 10,430 new HIV cases in 2025 actually refer to the total number of individuals diagnosed through enhanced HIV testing services throughout the year, not new infections.
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This clarification comes in response to findings from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s State of the Health of the Nation Report 2025, which indicated that Lagos had the highest amount of reported HIV cases among Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the report, Lagos had 10,430 cases, followed by Rivers with 6,287, Kano with 6,106, Akwa Ibom with 5,413, Taraba with 4,854, and Benue with 4,804 cases. Anambra reported 4,468 cases, while Kaduna, Adamawa, and the Federal Capital Territory rounded out the top ten with 3,659, 2,989, and 2,764 cases, respectively.
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Other states that recorded more than 2,000 cases include Cross River, Sokoto, Abia, Imo, Delta, Borno, Ogun, Plateau, and Niger Ebonyi, while Ekiti recorded the lowest figure with 462 cases.
In its statement, LSACA stressed that the reported figure represents individuals who tested positive and were documented through HIV testing programmes in 2025, many of whom may have been living with the virus long before receiving a diagnosis.
“The 10,430 cases should not be interpreted as 10,430 new HIV infections that occurred in 2025. Rather, they represent individuals who were diagnosed and recorded through HIV testing services during the year,” the agency said.
LSACA explained that Lagos’ status as Nigeria’s commercial hub and most populous state contributes to the high number of diagnoses, as residents, workers, students and visitors from across the country seek healthcare services in the state.
The agency also attributed the figures to Lagos’ extensive HIV surveillance, testing and reporting systems, which it said are among the strongest in the country. “As testing services continue to expand and more people come forward to know their HIV status, more previously undiagnosed cases are identified and linked to life-saving treatment.
