President Bola Tinubu has approved the release of N10 billion in emergency funding to strengthen Nigeria’s readiness against a potential Ebola outbreak following renewed cases reported in parts of Africa.
The intervention, announced on Tuesday, is designed to reinforce the country’s disease surveillance and emergency response systems amid growing concerns over outbreaks recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
In a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the government said the funding would support critical public health measures and enhance the operational capacity of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
“The fund will strengthen the operational preparedness of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and support critical national public health emergency response activities,” the statement said.
A significant portion of the funding will be directed toward improving the NCDC’s ability to detect, monitor and respond rapidly to any suspected Ebola cases.
READ RELATED STORY
Tinubu vows to defeat terrorism, banditry as Nigeria marks Democracy Day 2026
FG considers flight restrictions over Ebola outbreak in East Africa
As part of broader preventive measures, Tinubu also approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats.
The task force will be chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will comprise representatives of relevant federal agencies, health institutions and state governments.
According to the presidency, the committee will coordinate national preparedness efforts and ensure a unified response framework against Ebola and other emerging infectious diseases.
The government has also ordered the tightening of surveillance measures at the country’s borders and international airports to reduce the risk of importing the virus.
Among the measures to be implemented are enhanced passenger screening procedures, temperature checks and stricter crowd-control protocols at international entry points.
“Intensification of passenger screening at all international airports, including enhanced temperature checks and crowd-control protocols,” the statement noted.
Agencies expected to play key roles in the implementation include the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), state governments and relevant ministries.
The government also announced plans to strengthen monitoring of travellers arriving from countries considered high-risk, while isolation centres at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, will be activated as part of emergency preparedness measures.
In addition, inbound passengers may be required to complete health declaration forms, while airport terminals, cargo facilities and baggage handling areas will undergo regular disinfection.
The newly established task force has further been directed to work closely with aviation, security and diplomatic agencies to regulate flights originating from affected regions and designate specific terminals for travellers arriving from high-risk destinations.
The latest measures underscore the government’s determination to prevent a repeat of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, which Nigeria successfully contained after recording a handful of imported cases.
Health authorities say early detection, rapid response and coordinated action remain critical to keeping the country safe from any future outbreak.
