RismadarVoice Reporters, April 17, 2026
The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (National Agency for the Control of AIDS) has raised concerns over the unauthorised publication of what it describes as unofficial state-by-state HIV figures for the first quarter of 2026, warning that the data is misleading and not approved for public release.
In a statement issued by the Director-General of the agency, Temitope Ilori, NACA clarified that the circulated figures did not follow established protocols for the request, validation, and dissemination of HIV-related data.
According to the agency, all HIV data undergo strict procedural checks before publication to ensure accuracy, proper contextualisation, and responsible communication to the public. It stressed that any data released outside these processes should be considered unauthorised and unreliable.
NACA further explained that HIV data is highly sensitive and cannot be independently extracted or published without adherence to official guidelines. It warned that bypassing these safeguards could lead to misinterpretation and public misinformation.
The agency also cautioned against interpreting HIV positivity rates in isolation, noting that such figures do not directly represent prevalence or incidence. It added that variations in reported rates may be influenced by factors such as population size, the scale of testing programmes, and inconsistencies in reporting systems across states.
NACA reiterated its commitment to transparent and evidence-based communication, urging stakeholders and the public to rely only on officially validated data when discussing HIV statistics in Nigeria.
