President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats, alongside the immediate release of N10 billion to strengthen Nigeria’s readiness against a potential outbreak.
The emergency funding is expected to enhance the operational capacity of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical public health response measures across the country.
The newly created task force will be chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will comprise representatives from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as state governments.
The decision follows growing concerns over the resurgence of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. Although neither country shares a direct border with Nigeria, health authorities have expressed concerns about the risk of cross-border transmission through international travel.
According to the Presidency, the move followed a high-level stakeholder meeting convened by Gbajabiamila to assess Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies to prevent the importation of the virus.
Participants at the meeting included officials from the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the Lagos State Government, among other stakeholders.
As part of the government’s preventive measures, President Tinubu directed all states with international airports and border corridors to submit their preparedness plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for coordinated implementation.
The task force has also been mandated to intensify health screening at international airports through enhanced temperature checks and crowd-control protocols. Authorities will increase surveillance of passengers arriving on routes considered high-risk, including flights operated by Air Uganda, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, TAAG Angola Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines.
In addition, referral and isolation centres are to be activated immediately at the international airports in Lagos and Abuja, with similar facilities to be established at other airports nationwide.
The government also plans to implement mandatory QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers arriving from or transiting through designated high-risk countries. Airport facilities, baggage handling areas, cargo sections and departure halls will undergo routine disinfection as part of environmental safety measures.
President Tinubu further instructed the advisory group to engage security, diplomatic and aviation authorities on possible regulations affecting flights from countries identified as high-risk. The task force is expected to consider designating specific airports or terminals for such flights and adjusting flight schedules to reduce contact between high-risk travellers and other passengers.
The measures form part of the federal government’s broader strategy to prevent a repeat of previous Ebola outbreaks and strengthen national preparedness against emerging public health threats.