President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate release of ₦10 billion in emergency funding and the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s readiness against a potential outbreak.
The development was announced on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who said the intervention fund would bolster the operational capacity of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical public health emergency response initiatives nationwide.
The newly constituted task force will be chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will comprise representatives of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as state governments.
According to Onanuga, the President’s decision followed a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Chief of Staff to review Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies to prevent the importation of Ebola into the country amid renewed outbreaks in parts of Africa.
The meeting brought together key stakeholders, including representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Lagos State Government, and other relevant agencies.
The Presidency noted that recent Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have heightened concerns across the region, prompting the need for proactive measures to safeguard public health.
As part of the approved response plan, President Tinubu directed states with international airports and border entry points, alongside relevant MDAs, to submit detailed preparedness plans, funding requirements, and intervention needs for coordinated implementation.
The task force has been mandated to intensify passenger screening at all international airports through enhanced temperature checks, stricter crowd-control measures, and increased surveillance of travellers arriving from designated high-risk routes.
Authorities will also strengthen monitoring of passengers arriving on flights operated by airlines serving affected and high-risk regions, including Uganda Airlines, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, TAAG Angola Airlines, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines.
In addition, referral and isolation centres are to be activated immediately at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with similar facilities expected to be established at other international gateways across the country.
Other measures approved by the government include the mandatory use of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers arriving from or transiting through designated high-risk countries, as well as the routine disinfection of airport terminals, cargo facilities, baggage handling areas, and other critical infrastructure.
President Tinubu further directed the advisory group to engage security, diplomatic, and aviation authorities on measures relating to flights from affected countries. The task force is also expected to recommend designated terminals or airports for high-risk flights and consider scheduling adjustments aimed at reducing contact between high-risk travellers and other passengers.
The Presidency said the measures form part of a broader strategy to strengthen Nigeria’s disease surveillance and emergency response framework, ensuring the country remains prepared to respond swiftly and effectively to any potential Ebola threat.
