New data from the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has revealed that Rivers, Benue, and Akwa Ibom states have the highest number of people living with HIV in Nigeria, as the total national figure surpasses two million.
Rivers State currently leads with 208,767 cases, followed by Benue with 202,346, and Akwa Ibom with 161,597. The figures, part of NACA’s 2024 HIV Spectrum Estimates, underscore the urgency of sustained HIV intervention efforts across the country.
Lagos State ranks fourth with 108,649 people living with HIV, while Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) follow with 100,429 and 83,333 cases, respectively.
Other states with significant HIV populations include Delta (68,170), Imo (67,944), Enugu (61,028), Edo (60,095), and Taraba (58,460). States like Abia, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, and Borno all reported over 50,000 cases each.
In the middle-prevalence category are Oyo (50,063), Cross River (43,452), Ogun (43,348), and Nasarawa (44,993). States such as Adamawa (40,059), Gombe (31,825), Jigawa (31,409), Osun (30,714), and Niger (29,756) also made notable contributions to the national total.
States with relatively fewer reported cases include Bayelsa (25,339), Kwara (20,259), Kebbi (19,339), Ekiti (18,857), Sokoto (15,223), Ebonyi (14,151), Zamfara (13,253), and Yobe (11,956).
Despite advances in HIV management, the report noted that 43,683 Nigerians died from HIV-related complications in the past year — including 28,589 adults (13,650 males and 14,939 females) and 15,094 children aged 0–14.
A total of 1,753,425 people know their HIV status, comprising 1,693,457 adults and 54,983 children. Among these, 1,735,808 people are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), including over 577,000 males and 1.1 million females.
Encouragingly, 1,160,256 individuals on ART underwent viral load testing, and 1,112,339 showed successful viral suppression — a key metric in preventing further transmission.
However, the report highlighted a worrying gap in prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). Out of 93,186 pregnant women identified as needing ART, only 31,095 received the medication necessary to prevent passing HIV to their babies.
Addressing concerns about drug availability and healthcare funding, NACA’s Director-General, Dr. Temitope Ilori, stated that the Federal Government is implementing proactive measures to secure treatment continuity and close funding gaps.
She noted that the Federal Executive Council recently approved $1.07 billion for healthcare sector reforms under the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity programme. Additionally, N4.8 billion was earmarked for HIV response, with N300 billion allocated to the health sector in the 2025 national budget.
Dr. Ilori emphasized that the government remains committed to ensuring uninterrupted HIV care and enhancing efforts toward epidemic control across Nigeria.
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