Daniel Otera
Nigeria’s hepatitis crisis is no longer just a health emergency. It has become a massive economic burden. For the first time, the Federal Government has put a price tag on the annual cost of hepatitis-related illnesses: between ₦13.3 trillion and ₦17.9 trillion. These losses stem from misdiagnosis, hospital costs, long-term liver complications, and reduced workforce productivity.
The estimate was revealed during a national press briefing to mark World Hepatitis Day 2025. Officials warned that hepatitis continues to spread undetected across communities, often disguised as ordinary ailments like malaria.
“Our country faces a critical health emergency,” said Professor Muhammad Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, in a speech delivered by Dr Godwin Ntadom, Director of Public Health. “Over 20 million Nigerians are currently living with Hepatitis B and C, yet more than 90 per cent of them are unaware of their status.”
The World Health Organisation defines hepatitis as a viral inflammation of the liver that, if untreated, can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death. There are five major strains: A, B, C, D, and E. In Nigeria, Hepatitis B and C account for the majority of chronic and fatal cases.
Figures from the Ministry of Health show that about 18.2 million Nigerians are infected with Hepatitis B, while an estimated 2.5 million live with Hepatitis C. Most have never been tested. Early symptoms are typically ignored or misinterpreted.
“It’s a silent epidemic,” said Dr Ntadom. “Symptoms like tiredness, fever, and body pain are routinely treated as malaria. People self-medicate while hepatitis continues its silent damage to the liver.”
Around 4,252 Nigerians die every year from liver cancer linked to untreated hepatitis, according to the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme. Experts say many of these deaths could have been prevented through early testing and diagnosis.
“Hepatitis is treatable, and in some cases curable,” said Dr Adebobola Bashorun, National Coordinator of the AIDS and STDs Control Programme. “But if we continue to ignore the signs or confuse them with something else, we’ll keep losing people who should have been saved.”
Across Nigeria, hepatitis remains one of the least diagnosed viral infections. Data from the Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) 2020 estimated that 7.6 per cent of Nigerians are living with Hepatitis B, while 1.7 per cent are infected with Hepatitis C. Public health experts believe these numbers are now higher, particularly in rural areas where diagnostic infrastructure is lacking.
“Over 80 per cent of people living with hepatitis in Nigeria do not know their status,” said Dr Alero Oyinbo, a public health physician in Abuja. “Most only find out when complications like liver damage have already set in.”
In North Central states like Niger, Benue, Nasarawa, and Kogi, patients who present with fever, fatigue, or body pain are often diagnosed with malaria without proper testing. Health workers confirmed to The Journal that hepatitis is rarely suspected unless symptoms become severe.
A 2022 report by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control noted that lack of awareness, misdiagnosis, and late presentation are major contributors to hepatitis-related complications such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
In response to the growing crisis, the Federal Government has launched Project 365, a one-year nationwide initiative offering free hepatitis screening, diagnosis, and treatment in all 360 federal constituencies.
The programme includes:
Establishment of a Viral Hepatitis Elimination Fund
Increased budgetary allocations for hepatitis control
Legislation to expand treatment access in underserved areas
Support for local manufacturing of diagnostics and antiviral drugs
“We must take this fight to every community,” said Dr Bashorun. “Hepatitis B and C are transmitted mainly through unprotected sex, contaminated blood, and shared sharp objects. Prevention is possible with education, abstinence, and safe practices.”
In northern Nigeria, Kano State has emerged as a hotspot for Hepatitis B. The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Yusuf, confirmed that over 1.2 million residents are living with the infection.
To reduce mother-to-child transmission, the state introduced the HepFree Mothers, Healthy Babies initiative, providing free screening and treatment to pregnant women in seven hospitals.
“We’ve deployed health workers in maternity wards to provide hepatitis vaccines to newborns,” said Dr Yusuf. “Mother-to-child transmission accounts for about 80 per cent of infections. This intervention is key to breaking that cycle.”
Kano has released ₦95 million for the purchase of test kits and medication. It also proposed an additional ₦135 million to support public awareness campaigns, mass testing, and treatment rollout. Hepatitis screening is now mandatory for all blood transfusions in public and private health facilities across the state.
“We need support from development partners, civil society, and the media,” Dr Yusuf added. “This is not a fight the government can win alone.”
Nigeria’s national hepatitis plan has drawn praise from global health actors. Titilola Munkail, Technical Officer at Africa CDC, commended the country’s leadership and regional example.
“We are hopeful that Nigeria will continue to lead as it has always done in the elimination of harmful diseases,” said Munkail. “Africa is watching and drawing inspiration from your efforts.”
Former Head of State and Presidential Ambassador for Hepatitis Control, General Yakubu Gowon, also expressed support for the campaign. Represented by Adeyeye Ajayi, he emphasised the need to overcome stigma and improve access.
“Let us reaffirm our commitment to eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030,” Gowon said. “With awareness, education, and action, we can save thousands of lives.”
Public health advocates are calling for hepatitis to be treated with the same urgency as HIV, tuberculosis, or malaria.