The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has reported that at least 24.47 million Nigerians tested positive for malaria between January and September 2025, reflecting a persistent surge in the country’s malaria burden.
The figures are contained in the 2025 National Health Statistics Report, which documents a steady increase in the number of people presenting with fever and undergoing malaria screening using Rapid Diagnostic Tests and microscopy.
According to the report, confirmed infections rose consistently across the first three quarters of the year. Nigeria, one of the world’s most malaria-endemic nations, continues to face structural health challenges, including delayed health-seeking behaviour and limited access to quality medical services. Public health experts warn that these factors, alongside the prolonged rainy season conducive to mosquito breeding, are fuelling the rising trend in infections.
Data from the report shows that 10.5 million Nigerians were tested for malaria from January to March, increasing to 11.4 million between April and June, and further to 12.8 million from July to September, bringing the total number of tests conducted within the nine-month period to 34.8 million.
Positive cases followed a similar pattern, with 7.3 million tests returning positive in the first quarter, 7.8 million in the second quarter, and 9.3 million in the third quarter, totalling 24.47 million confirmed malaria infections nationwide.
Malaria treatment data mirrored the rising caseload. The report shows that 7.1 million Nigerians received Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) between January and March, 7.6 million from April to June, and 9 million between July and September, bringing total ACT recipients for the period to 23.85 million.
Speaking at the 2025 Joint Annual Review in Abuja, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, acknowledged the progress made by the National Malaria Eradication Programme but emphasised the need for intensified interventions to curb transmission and strengthen nationwide malaria control efforts.
