The Federal Government has assured Nigerians of its preparedness to contain the Ebola virus disease, saying surveillance systems, contact tracing and isolation measures have been activated following the detection of an imported case.
The assurance was given by the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats, and Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, after an emergency meeting of the task force at the State House on Wednesday.
According to a State House press release issued on October 21, 2026, by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Gbajabiamila said the task force had been working behind the scenes since its inauguration in June to strengthen the country’s preparedness against Ebola and other emerging public health threats.
He attributed the early detection of the index case to surveillance measures and protocols implemented by the Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies.
Gbajabiamila disclosed that Nigeria had recorded about 44,000 flights into and out of the country since concerns over Ebola emerged in June, stressing that the country’s surveillance and identification procedures had helped detect the imported case.
He explained that the passenger initially showed no symptoms, which developed four days after the woman arrived in Abuja. He said established identification procedures and public health protocols enabled authorities to identify the case.
The task force chairman said the government would strengthen existing protocols and intensify enforcement to improve the country’s response.
“The Task Force is on top of it. NCDC is on top of it; everyone is on deck,” he said, urging Nigerians to cooperate with public health authorities and avoid panic.
He also emphasised the need to build public trust, describing the containment effort as a joint responsibility of the government and citizens.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, said Nigeria had competent health authorities and established surveillance systems capable of responding to the outbreak.
Pate listed the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), immigration and aviation authorities, private healthcare providers and state-level health agencies among the institutions involved in the response.
He said authorities were conducting contact tracing and isolating individuals who had come into contact with the index case.
According to the minister, the Federal Government, working with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the NCDC, had activated the incident management system across relevant response areas.
He added that hospitals had also activated their response capabilities to support efforts to contain the case.
“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,” Pate said.
The minister noted that most states had adequate response plans and that the government was mobilising available resources to strengthen the national response.
He, however, warned that the government would not relent in its containment efforts, urging citizens to comply with public health directives.
Pate also cautioned Nigerians against spreading misinformation and unverified reports about the disease, warning that rumours could trigger unnecessary public panic.
He expressed confidence in the experience of Nigerian public health professionals, recalling their role in containing Ebola in 2014 and supporting response efforts in other countries.
The minister said the continued collaboration between government agencies and international health partners would be critical to containing the current case.
The emergency meeting was attended by representatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the WHO, Africa CDC and health authorities from the Federal Capital Territory and Lagos State, among other officials.
Other participants included the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap; FAAN Managing Director, Bunmi Kuku; WHO Representative, Pavel Ursu; and the Special Regional Representative to the Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr. Aliko Ahmed.
The meeting also included officials from the State House Medical Centre, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.
The Federal Government urged Nigerians to remain calm, follow official public health guidance and cooperate with health authorities as efforts continue to contain the imported case.
