FG orders isolation for high-risk travellers over Ebola concerns

The Federal Government has intensified health screening at airports, seaports and land borders to prevent the importation of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) following an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain in parts of East and Central Africa.

 

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case but has activated nationwide preparedness measures to guard against a possible outbreak.

 

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the ministry’s Assistant Director of Press and Public Relations, Ado Bako, authorities said all incoming travellers would undergo enhanced screening and risk assessment procedures.

 

The measures include temperature checks, health declaration reviews, travel history assessments and risk profiling.

 

According to the ministry, travellers identified as high-risk or those exhibiting symptoms associated with Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic fevers will be subjected to secondary screening, isolation and referral protocols.

 

The ministry added that surveillance systems have been strengthened nationwide through enhanced Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) activities, community-based monitoring and active tracking of public health alerts to ensure early detection of suspected cases.

 

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to provide adequate funding to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) to strengthen the country’s preparedness and response capacity against Ebola and other epidemic-prone diseases.

 

The call followed a motion moved by Amobi Godwin Ogah during plenary on Tuesday.

 

Ogah noted that although the NCDC had announced measures to enhance national coordination and preparedness, the agency’s capacity had been constrained by inadequate funding.

 

He said the NCDC received no operational funding in 2025, while no capital releases had been made so far from its approved 2026 budget allocation.

 

Nigeria successfully contained the 2014 Ebola outbreak through aggressive contact tracing, isolation and coordinated emergency response efforts, and health authorities say the country remains vigilant against any potential threat.