The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that the number of deaths caused by cerebrospinal meningitis has risen to 156, up from the previously reported 74 fatalities.
The new figures cover data collected from epidemiological week 40 of 2024 to week 12 of 2025. Within this period, the agency recorded 126 confirmed cases from a total of 1,858 suspected cases reported across 23 states and 121 local government areas.
According to the NCDC, the current Case Fatality Rate stands at 8.4 per cent.
The 23 states that have reported suspected cases include Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Ekiti, the Federal Capital Territory, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, and Yobe.
Cerebrospinal meningitis is a severe infection affecting the meninges—the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. The World Health Organisation identifies bacterial meningitis as the most common and deadliest form of the disease.
One in four survivors is left with long-term complications, such as hearing loss, weakness in limbs, vision and speech difficulties, memory loss, communication issues, and even amputations due to tissue damage.
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Outbreaks of meningitis typically occur during the dry season, from December to June, and are most intense between March and April when the weather is dry, dusty, and has low humidity.
As part of efforts to control the outbreak, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare received over one million doses of the pentavalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine from Gavi’s global stockpile this week. The vaccine targets the C and W strains of the meningococcus bacteria currently spreading in northern Nigeria.
In 2024, Nigeria became the first country in the world to introduce the WHO-recommended Men5CV vaccine, which protects against five meningococcal strains. Health officials believe this will help significantly reduce cases and aid in achieving the goal of eliminating meningitis.
The NCDC further stated in its latest report that, “A total of 1,826 suspected cases with 151 death (CFR 8.3 per cent) have been reported from 23 states in the current season. A total of 289 samples were collected from some of the reported suspected cases since the beginning of the season, with 126 confirmed (44 per cent positivity rate) NmC accounts for 27 per cent, NmW 13.5 per cent, Spn 2.1 per cent and NmX 0.7 per cent and Hib 0.3 per cent each of the confirmed cases. Age group 5 -14 years remains most affected group. 60 per cent of the total suspected cases are Male.”
It added, “Ninety-four per cent of all suspected cases are being reported from 10 states – Kebbi (881), Katsina (158), Jigawa (147), Yobe (109), Gombe (47), Sokoto (303), Borno (36), Adamawa (27), Oyo (23) and Bauchi (66).
“Seventeen LGAs across nine states reported more than ten suspected cases in the current CSM season. Gwandu (313), Tambuwal (155), Aleiro (143), Katsina (69), Kankia (54), Sule-Tankarkar (29), Jega (61), Fune (28), Maiduguri (29), Jahun (15), Birnin kudu (13), Nafada (13), Nguru (53), Bauch (25), Gamawa (20), Taura (14), Sule-Tankarkar (30), Birnin kudu (13), Nafada (13) and Yola South (13).”
The NCDC assured the public that its multi-sectoral Emergency Operations Centre is actively coordinating the national response in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, and development partners.
