Nigeria Thursday night posted 1,145 COVID-19 cases, its highest daily record till date, according to data published by the NCDC.
Two states, Lagos and Kaduna and the capital Abuja accounted for 64 percent of the monster cases.
Lagos recorded 459 cases, its highest daily since February, when the pandemic touched Nigeria, with the arrival of an Italian.
Abuja followed with 145 cases and Kaduna 138.
Katsina reported 70 and Gombe 52.
Governor of Niger state, Abubakar Sani Bello, whose state logged 31 cases has ordered government workers to stay at home until further notice..
In all, a record 24 states confirmed new infections, as the second wave of the COVID-19 appears to be exploding in Nigeria.
The NCDC reported just one death in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 1201.
The data released also indicated there are now 7,896 actives cases, after 864,104 samples tested as at Thursday 17 December.
At a briefing in Abuja on Thursday, NCDC Director-general, Chikwe Ihekweazu, warned Nigerians to observe the COVID-19 protocols they prepare for Christmas and New Year.
He urged traditional and religious leaders to ensure public compliance with the measures.
“As you celebrate, you should #TakeResponsibility by adhering to recommended safety measures,” he advised.
Here is a breakdown of the new cases:
Lagos-459
FCT-145
Kaduna-138
Plateau-80
Katsina-70
Gombe-52
Niger-31
Kano-23
Bayelsa-21
Bauchi-18
Ondo-18
Rivers-17
Ogun-12
Oyo-12
Edo-8
Nasarawa-8
Ebonyi-7
Osun-6
Ekiti-5
Kebbi-5
Borno-4
Jigawa-3
Akwa Ibom-2
Anambra-1
