The Lagos State Government has pushed back at data emanating from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare that it has highest number of people that recently contracted HIV.
In the recently-released Health of the Nation Report 2025 by the Federal Ministry of Health, which provides a state-by-state breakdown of newly recorded HIV infections and highlights the geographical distribution of the epidemic, Lagos accounted for the highest number of new cases at 10,430 while Rivers and Kano came second and third, with 6,287 6,106 cases respectively.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, Folakemi Animashaun, at a press briefing on Thursday faulted the federal government’s claim.
Animashaun explained that many of the people captured in the figure may have contracted HIV years earlier but only recently underwent testing.
“These include persons who may have acquired HIV several years earlier but were only recently tested. The figure may also include people who travelled to Lagos for testing or treatment, referrals from other states, and individuals identified because of the state’s expanded access to HIV testing services,” she said.
She stressed that new HIV infections are estimated through scientific surveillance and epidemiological modelling rather than routine testing data.
“New HIV infections refer to individuals who acquired HIV within a defined period and are estimated using established epidemiological surveillance methods and scientific modelling.
“This distinction is critical because inaccurate interpretation of public health data can generate unnecessary fear, increase stigma and discrimination, discourage HIV testing and ultimately undermine public health interventions,” she said.
Speaking further, the CEO attributed the state’s relatively high number of diagnosed cases to its population size and position as Nigeria’s largest healthcare referral centre.
“As Nigeria’s most populous state, commercial centre and one of the country’s largest healthcare referral hubs, Lagos naturally records some of the highest volumes of HIV testing, diagnosis, treatment and patient referrals.
“Stronger surveillance systems and wider access to healthcare services invariably result in higher case detection and should not be misconstrued as evidence of worsening epidemic control,” she added.
