File photo: Health workers in Ebola kits

BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS

The Federal Government and state governments have intensified surveillance, contact tracing and emergency preparedness following the reported confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Abuja, with health authorities stepping up efforts to prevent further transmission.

The measures include enhanced screening at airports, the identification and monitoring of persons who may have been exposed to the virus, the preparation of isolation centres and increased public awareness campaigns.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said it had convened its first incident management meeting to coordinate the national response following confirmation of the case.

In a statement posted on its X account, the agency said its Incident Action Plan was being finalised, while response teams were already conducting case management and other emergency activities.

The NCDC said its immediate priorities included enhanced surveillance, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and coordinated risk communication.

It reaffirmed its commitment to a timely, coordinated and evidence-based response to protect Nigerians.

The reported case has also prompted authorities to strengthen monitoring of people who may have come into contact with the affected individual. Public health officials have emphasised that being identified as a contact does not automatically mean a person is infected, as such individuals require monitoring and appropriate assessment.

FG strengthens airport surveillance

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to place 46 people who reportedly had contact with the affected individual on a no-fly list for 21 days.

Keyamo disclosed this after a virtual meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, on measures to contain the outbreak.

He said the list comprised 44 people who had contact with the individual at a hospital after she developed symptoms and two domestic staff members.

The minister directed the NCAA to notify local and international airlines to prevent the listed individuals from travelling by air during the monitoring period.

He also instructed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to strengthen surveillance and response measures at international airports across the country.

The measures include enhanced health screening, temperature checks, travel history tracking, digital health declarations and closer coordination with the NCDC.

FAAN has also begun installing temperature-screening cameras at airports to identify passengers with elevated body temperatures. Passengers flagged by the equipment are expected to undergo further medical assessment, while suspected cases will be isolated for evaluation.

The authority is also providing hand sanitisers and personal protective equipment for frontline personnel.

According to the NCDC, the affected woman arrived in Nigeria from Uganda on October 5, developed symptoms on October 7 and sought treatment at a private hospital in Abuja on October 11. Her travel history and failure to respond to malaria treatment prompted doctors to alert health authorities.

The Incident Manager of the National Ebola Disease Response, Dr. Odianosen Ehiakhamen, said 44 contacts, mainly healthcare workers and hospital support staff, had been identified for monitoring.

He explained that the contacts were predominantly hospital personnel because the events surrounding the case occurred within the facility.

Ehiakhamen added that Nigeria had strengthened its preparedness since May through risk assessments, surveillance, personnel training and infection prevention measures.

Pate urges public cooperation

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has stressed the importance of public cooperation in containing the virus.

Pate said Nigeria had the resources, presidential backing and inter-agency mechanisms required to manage the situation, but warned that the effectiveness of the response also depended on individual responsibility.

He said the government could not adequately control people who were instructed to isolate themselves but chose to visit public places.

The minister urged Nigerians to comply with public health instructions and avoid actions that could undermine containment efforts.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) identified the virus involved in the regional outbreak as the Bundibugyo strain. It declared the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on May 16.

According to figures cited by Newsweek, the Democratic Republic of Congo had recorded 9,066 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths as of October 11. Al Jazeera also reported an imported case in Kenya in October.

The WHO says there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease.

Senate demands mandatory screening

The Senate has urged the Federal Government to introduce mandatory health screening for passengers arriving through international airports, seaports and designated land borders.

The lawmakers also called for emergency funding to strengthen disease surveillance, equip Port Health Services and prepare treatment and isolation centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Ondo South Senator Francis Faduyile, who warned that the NCDC had rated the risk of importing Ebola into Nigeria as high.

Faduyile recalled the country’s 2014 Ebola outbreak, which recorded 20 confirmed and probable cases and eight deaths, and stressed the need for early detection, contact tracing and a coordinated response.

The Senate proposed health declaration forms, temperature checks and symptom screening for international arrivals, with enhanced checks for travellers who had visited or transited affected areas within the preceding 21 days.

It also called for exit screening during declared public health emergencies and urged relevant agencies to provide trained personnel, thermal scanners, protective equipment and isolation facilities at entry points.

The lawmakers further advocated an update of the Quarantine Act of 1976 to reflect current public health realities and international standards.

Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno supported the proposed amendment, arguing that the legislation needed to reflect changing circumstances.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged relevant agencies to act proactively, warning that a wider spread of the virus could create a major public health challenge.

The Senate mandated its committees on Health, Primary Healthcare, Disease Control, Aviation, Interior and Appropriations to inspect major entry points, engage relevant agencies and report back within four weeks. The Committee on Legislative Compliance was also directed to monitor implementation.

Reps seek emergency funding

The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to strengthen preventive and emergency medical measures against Ebola and immediately release outstanding appropriated funds to relevant health agencies.

The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Amobi Ogah, representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State.

Ogah warned that delays in identifying suspected cases, conducting laboratory tests, isolating infected persons and tracing contacts could increase the risk of transmission and place additional pressure on the healthcare system.

He also raised concerns about inadequate public awareness, shortages of infection prevention supplies, gaps in healthcare workers’ preparedness and limited emergency response capacity.

The House urged the Federal Ministry of Finance to release outstanding funds to enable health agencies to intensify surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing and other emergency interventions.

It also asked the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the NCDC to assess additional funding requirements in line with current epidemiological evidence and public health guidance.

The House mandated its Committee on Infectious Diseases to engage relevant ministries, departments, agencies and health institutions, obtain updates on the outbreak and report back for further legislative action.

States strengthen preparedness

State governments have announced a range of measures to prevent the spread of the virus, including surveillance teams, isolation arrangements, laboratory training, public awareness campaigns and contact-tracing mechanisms.

In Ogun State, the government said no Ebola case had been recorded as of October 21, 2026. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, said 111 persons of interest had been monitored and discharged after completing the required surveillance period.

She urged residents to remain calm, rely on official information and promptly report possible exposure.

In Yobe State, the government said it had established surveillance teams and contact-tracing mechanisms across all 17 local government areas.

The Director of Public Health in the state Ministry of Health, Dr. Nuru Sulaiman Muhammad, said personnel had been deployed to investigate possible exposure and support early detection.

He added that trained contact tracers would visit affected communities, with security personnel assisting access to hard-to-reach areas affected by insecurity.

According to him, isolation centres were available in Bade, Potiskum and Damaturu, covering the state’s three senatorial districts.

The state has also distributed infection prevention materials, including hand sanitisers, and intensified community enlightenment campaigns.

In Ekiti State, the government said it had strengthened preparedness through laboratory training, surveillance, public awareness and the stockpiling of personal protective equipment.

An Ebola Virus Disease Technical Working Group had been inaugurated, while simulation exercises were conducted at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti. Healthcare workers received training in case management and infection prevention, and laboratory personnel were trained in sample collection, handling and transportation.

The government also trained airport officials, environmental health officers and a burial team in screening, surveillance and safe burial procedures.

Residents were urged to maintain good hand hygiene, avoid contact with the body fluids of suspected cases and promptly report possible exposure.

The Enugu State Government has reactivated its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and intensified surveillance across its 17 local government areas.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, said coordination with relevant agencies and partners had been strengthened, including surveillance activities around Akanu Ibiam International Airport.

He reassured residents that no confirmed Ebola case had been recorded in the state at the time of his statement, while urging healthcare facilities to promptly isolate suspected cases and notify surveillance officers.

Similarly, the Kano State Centre for Disease Control reactivated its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and placed it on high alert.

Its Director-General, Prof. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, said the state was prepared to respond to potential threats, urging residents to remain vigilant without panicking.

The centre advised residents to report suspected cases through its emergency contact number, 07077974504, its email address, kanocdc@gmail.com, or the nearest local government Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer or health facility.

Nigeria builds on 2014 experience

Nigeria’s response draws on lessons from the 2014 Ebola outbreak, when coordinated surveillance, contact tracing and public health interventions helped contain the disease.

President Bola Tinubu had, on June 9, established a task force chaired by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and approved N10 billion for emergency preparedness.

At the task force’s inauguration on June 18, Gbajabiamila said Nigeria had not recorded any case at the time and stressed the need to avoid a repeat of the circumstances surrounding the previous outbreak.

The measures included tighter airport screening, QR-code health declarations for passengers from high-risk countries and isolation arrangements at the Lagos and Abuja airports.

The United States Mission in Nigeria has also advised travellers to monitor their health for 21 days after visiting areas affected by Ebola and seek medical guidance if symptoms develop.

As federal and state authorities intensify preparedness, public health officials continue to emphasise early reporting, compliance with medical guidance, contact tracing and coordinated surveillance as essential measures to prevent further transmission.

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