The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has raised concerns over the unauthorised circulation of a publication presenting state-by-state HIV figures for January to March 2026 across social media platforms.
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Temitope Ilori, the Agency clarified that the publication did not follow established procedures for requesting, validating, and disseminating HIV-related data, and is therefore not authorised.
NACA emphasised that HIV data cannot be independently extracted and published without due process, noting that strict protocols are in place to ensure proper analysis, contextualisation, and accurate public communication.
The Agency warned that failure to comply with these procedures could lead to misinterpretation and misuse of sensitive public health information.
The Agency explained that although the figures cited appear to have been sourced 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 HIV across states.
According to NACA, “HIV positivity alone is not a valid indicator of prevalence or incidence and should not be used to rank or compare states.”
It said that such figures are influenced by factors such as population size, scale of testing, and variations in data reporting.
The Agency therefore described any comparison or ranking based solely on the circulating figures as misleading, inaccurate, and invalid.
NACA reiterated that only authorised government health institutions have the mandate and technical expertise to generate, interpret, and disseminate HIV data and estimates.
It advised members of the public and organisations seeking HIV-related information to follow due process by submitting formal requests to the Agency, while urging the public to disregard the circulating publication.