A survey investigating the prevalence of rotavirus infection in infants and young children with acute diarrhoea was undertaken in Jos State, Nigeria during the first half of 1998. In total, 182 faecal specimens were collected from children aged between 1 and 60 months with acute infantile gastroenteritis. Examination with a commercial ELISA assay for the presence of group A rotavirus antigen revealed 16 specimens positive for this antigen. However, examination of the double stranded RNA of the viral genome by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed the presence of three human group C rotaviruses. This is the first report of group C rotaviruses in Nigeria and West Africa.