The National Agency for the Control of AIDS has raised alarm over the unauthorised circulation of a report containing state-by-state HIV figures for the first quarter of 2026.
The Director General of the agency, Temitope Ilori, disclosed in a statement that the publication was widely shared on social media without official approval or proper verification.
She explained that the document did not follow the required procedures for requesting, validating, and releasing HIV related data, stressing that it remains unauthorised.
Ilori noted that HIV data cannot be independently extracted and published without due process, as strict protocols are in place to ensure proper analysis, context, and accurate communication to the public.
She warned that ignoring these procedures could lead to misinterpretation of sensitive health data and weaken public trust in Nigeria’s HIV response system.
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According to her, although the figures may have been obtained from the National Data Repository dashboard, they only reflect HIV positivity from routine testing in health facilities and do not represent the actual burden of the disease.
She emphasised that HIV positivity is not a reliable indicator of prevalence or incidence and should not be used to rank or compare states.
Ilori added that differences in such figures can result from factors such as population size, testing coverage, programme intensity, and inconsistencies in data reporting across states.
She therefore described any ranking or comparison based solely on the circulated figures as misleading, inaccurate, and invalid.
The NACA boss reiterated that only authorised government health institutions have the mandate and technical expertise to generate, interpret, and publish HIV data.
She urged individuals and organisations seeking such information to follow official procedures by submitting formal requests to the agency to ensure access to accurate and verified data.
