The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported 19,213 confirmed measles cases out of 26,866 suspected cases across 507 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as of November 2025. The infectious disease has claimed 153 lives in the country so far.
The NCDC shared these figures in its latest measles situation report, made available to journalists in Abuja. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that causes fever, red rash, cough, and red eyes. It spreads through coughing and sneezing, contact with respiratory secretions, or close personal contact, and the virus can remain infectious in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours. The period of greatest infectiousness occurs four days before and after the rash appears.
In November 2025, Delta, Kwara, Bayelsa, Jigawa, and Akwa Ibom accounted for more than half of the suspected cases reported, with a total of 71 suspected cases in these states. Only one case was confirmed, seven were discarded, and 63 were still under investigation. No deaths were recorded from these confirmed cases.
From January to November 2025, the bulk of suspected cases came from Borno (7,968), Zamfara (4,779), Yobe (2,076), Bauchi (1,574), and Kebbi (1,357), making up 66.1% of all suspected cases. Of all suspected cases nationwide, 19,213 (71.5%) were confirmed, with nearly half of them (9,399 cases) affecting children aged 9–59 months.
The report highlighted that 77% of confirmed cases had not received any measles vaccine, showing a critical gap in immunisation coverage. In total, 188 LGAs across 27 states recorded measles outbreaks this year. By the end of November, only Eti-Osa in Lagos State had an ongoing outbreak, while 187 LGAs had successfully ended theirs.
In response to the outbreak, First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu launched the Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign on October 6, targeting approximately 106 million children aged nine months to under 15 years in two phases. The campaign is considered the largest health initiative in Africa, integrating vaccinations against measles, rubella, polio, and HPV for adolescent girls.
