The Federal Government has intensified health surveillance measures at airports, seaports, and land borders across the country following renewed concerns over an Ebola outbreak in parts of East and Central Africa.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare announced that enhanced screening procedures have been activated nationwide as part of efforts to prevent the importation of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus currently affecting some African countries.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, which was signed by the Assistant Director of Press and Public Relations, Ado Bako, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said there was currently no confirmed Ebola case in Nigeria but stressed that heightened preparedness measures had been activated nationwide to safeguard public health.
According to the ministry, travellers identified as high-risk or exhibiting symptoms associated with Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic fevers will undergo secondary screening, isolation, and referral processes. Authorities have also introduced mandatory temperature checks, health declaration forms, travel history assessments, and stricter risk profiling at designated entry points.
The government further disclosed that surveillance systems have been reinforced nationwide through enhanced disease monitoring, community-based surveillance networks, and active tracking of public health alerts. Public Health Emergency Operations Centres have also been activated, while Rapid Response Teams have been placed on standby at national and state levels.
Healthcare facilities across the country have been directed to maintain a high level of vigilance, strengthen infection prevention and control measures, improve triage systems, and promptly report any suspected cases.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has expressed concern over what lawmakers described as a severe funding crisis affecting the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), warning that the agency’s preparedness for a possible Ebola outbreak may be compromised.
The concern followed a motion moved by the member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State, Amobi Ogah, who cited reports of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria’s subsequent high-alert status.
Ogah alleged that the NCDC received no operational funding in 2025 and that no capital releases had been made against its approved 2026 budget allocation. He argued that inadequate funding has weakened critical functions including outbreak response, laboratory services, disease surveillance, logistics coordination, and emergency preparedness.
The lawmaker also raised concerns over shortages of laboratory reagents, stalled health projects, unpaid contractors, and inadequate biosafety infrastructure, warning that the situation poses a significant threat to Nigeria’s public health security.
Following the debate, the House urged the Federal Government to immediately release funds appropriated for the NCDC to enable the agency meet its obligations and maintain effective operations. Lawmakers also called for intensified border surveillance and screening to prevent the entry of infected persons into the country.
Nigeria gained global recognition in 2014 for successfully containing an Ebola outbreak, a feat health experts say can only be sustained through continuous investment in disease surveillance and emergency response systems.
