President Bola Tinubu has approved the release of ₦10 billion in emergency intervention funding and established a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats to strengthen Nigeria’s readiness against a potential outbreak.
According to a statement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the fund will enhance the operational capacity of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical public health response measures across the country.
The task force, chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, will include representatives from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as state governments.
The move follows recent Ebola outbreaks in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which have heightened concerns over possible cross-border transmission into Nigeria.
The decision was reached after a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened by Gbajabiamila to review Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies to prevent the importation of the disease.
The meeting brought together officials from the Ministry of Interior, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Lagos State Government, and other key agencies.
As part of the emergency response plan, President Tinubu directed states with international airports and border entry points to submit detailed preparedness plans, funding needs, and intervention requirements for coordinated action.
Additional measures ordered by the government include intensified passenger screening at international airports, stricter temperature checks, enhanced crowd-control protocols, and increased monitoring of travellers arriving through high-risk routes served by airlines such as Air Uganda, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines.
The government also directed the immediate activation of referral and isolation centres at Lagos and Abuja international airports, mandatory QR code-based health declarations for travellers from designated high-risk countries, and the disinfection of airport facilities, cargo terminals, and baggage handling areas.
Furthermore, the President instructed the task force to collaborate with aviation, security, and diplomatic authorities on possible flight regulations involving affected countries, including the designation of special terminals for high-risk flights and adjustments to flight schedules aimed at reducing passenger contact.
The initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to prevent major public health emergencies and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to respond to emerging infectious disease threats.
