FG assures Nigerians of capacity to contain Ebola outbreak

The Federal Government has assured Nigerians of its capacity to contain the Ebola outbreak, citing strengthened surveillance, contact tracing and emergency response measures.

Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a press statement issued on Wednesday following an emergency meeting of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats at the State House.

The Chairman of the Task Force and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the committee had been working behind the scenes since its inauguration in June to strengthen the country’s preparedness.

Gbajabiamila said the measures had helped authorities promptly identify the index case reported on Tuesday.

He noted that Nigeria had recorded about 44,000 flights in and out of the country since the Ebola threat emerged in June, underscoring the importance of sustained surveillance and inter-agency collaboration.

“The passenger with the disease showed no symptoms, which came four days after the woman got into Abuja, and it was the identification process and the protocols that were put in place that enabled the quick identification,” he said.

He added that the development demonstrated Nigeria’s capacity to respond to the disease, while assuring that existing protocols would be strengthened and enforcement made more rigorous.

“The Task Force is on top of it. NCDC is on top of it; everyone is on deck. We must build community trust and avoid panic, but it’s also important to state clearly that this is a collaborative effort between the government and the people,” he said.

Gbajabiamila urged Nigerians to comply with public health directives and cooperate with authorities to prevent further spread of the disease.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, said Nigeria had competent health authorities and established surveillance systems supported by relevant federal agencies, private hospitals and subnational institutions.

Pate said authorities were conducting contact tracing and isolating contacts of the imported index case as part of efforts to contain the outbreak.

He added that the Federal Government, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), had activated the incident management system across relevant response areas.

According to him, the agencies are working continuously to contain the case, while hospital response capabilities have also been activated.

“We will continue to do that, and we want to reassure Nigerians that the federal government, alongside its technical partners, the World Health Organisation, the Africa Centre for Disease Control, and our own Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, have activated the incident management system across the various pillars,” he said.

Pate said most states had adequate response plans and that the government was mobilising available resources and capabilities to address the outbreak.

He, however, urged Nigerians to avoid spreading misinformation and unverified rumours capable of triggering unnecessary panic.

The minister expressed confidence in the country’s public health expertise, recalling Nigeria’s successful response to the Ebola outbreak in 2014 and the contribution of its health professionals to other countries.

He said sustained collaboration, adherence to public health directives and effective coordination would be critical to containing the current case.

Other members of the Task Force at the meeting included Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap; Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Bunmi Kuku; FAAN General Manager, Adamu Adamu; WHO Representative, Pavel Ursu; and Africa CDC Special Regional Representative to the Director-General, Dr Aliko Ahmed.

Others were the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Operations and Secretary of the Task Force, Oyinade Nathan-Marsh; Public Health Executive, Niniola Williams; FCT Mandate Secretary for Health and Environment, Dr Dolapo Fasawe; and Chairman of the State House Medical Centre’s Medical Advisory Committee, Dr Victoria Ogala.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olajumoke Oduwole; Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi; and Director of Operations, Licensing and Training Standards at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Donald Spiff, participated in the meeting virtually.

The statement was signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, and dated Oct. 21, 2026.