President Bola Tinubu has approved the release of N10 billion in emergency funding to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness against a possible Ebola outbreak following renewed cases reported in parts of Africa.
The approval was announced in a statement issued on Tuesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, the intervention is designed to reinforce Nigeria’s public health security architecture and enhance the country’s capacity to respond swiftly to any potential outbreak.
“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.
The funding will primarily support the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) in scaling up surveillance, emergency response, and disease prevention efforts across the country.
As part of the measures approved by the President, a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats has also been established.
The task force will be chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will comprise representatives of relevant federal agencies, state governments, and key stakeholders involved in public health management.
The decision follows growing concerns over Ebola outbreaks recently reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, prompting several countries to strengthen preventive measures.
Nigeria is also intensifying border and airport surveillance to reduce the risk of importing the virus into the country.
The statement noted that passenger screening procedures at all international airports will be strengthened, including enhanced temperature checks and stricter crowd-control protocols.
“Intensification of passenger screening at all international airports, including enhanced temperature checks and crowd-control protocols,” will form a key component of the government’s response strategy.
Agencies responsible for implementing the measures include the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), working in collaboration with state governments and relevant ministries.
Additional preventive measures include enhanced monitoring of travellers arriving from high-risk destinations, activation of isolation centres at the international airports in Lagos and Abuja, and the enforcement of mandatory health declaration procedures for inbound passengers.
The President also directed that airport terminals, cargo facilities, baggage handling areas, and other critical airport infrastructure be regularly disinfected to minimise public health risks.
Furthermore, the newly established task force has been mandated to coordinate with aviation, security, and diplomatic agencies to regulate flights from affected regions and designate specific terminals for passengers arriving from high-risk areas.
The Federal Government said the measures are part of broader efforts to protect Nigerians and ensure the country remains prepared to respond effectively to emerging public health threats.
