President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats. He also authorized the immediate release of N10 billion to strengthen Nigeria's emergency response capacity against the deadly virus.
This intervention comes amid renewed concerns over the resurgence of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The Federal Government has activated measures aimed at preventing the importation of the disease into the country.
The emergency funding is expected to bolster the operational readiness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC). It will also support critical public health response activities nationwide.
Presidential Task Force Composition
The newly constituted Presidential Task Force will be chaired by the President's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. Membership is drawn from key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), alongside representatives of state governments.
President Tinubu's approval followed a high-level stakeholders' meeting convened by Gbajabiamila. The meeting assessed Nigeria's preparedness and developed strategies to forestall any outbreak within the country's borders.
Participants 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), the Lagos State Government, and other critical institutions involved in disease surveillance and border management.
Emergency Measures
As part of the emergency measures, the President directed all states hosting international airports and major border corridors to submit detailed preparedness plans, funding requirements, and intervention needs. These will be coordinated by the Federal Government.
The Task Force is expected to immediately intensify passenger screening at international airports through enhanced temperature checks and stricter crowd-control measures.
Authorities have been directed to strengthen monitoring of travellers arriving through identified high-risk routes, including flights operated by Air Uganda, RwandaAir, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines.
Activation of Isolation Centres
Referral and isolation centres are to be activated without delay at the Lagos and Abuja international airports. Similar facilities will subsequently be established at other designated entry points across the country.
The government further ordered the mandatory deployment of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers originating from, or transiting through, countries classified as high risk.
Other precautionary measures include the disinfection of departure halls, cargo terminals, baggage handling areas, and other airport facilities.
Regulatory Actions
President Tinubu also mandated the advisory group to engage security, diplomatic, and aviation authorities on possible regulations governing flights from affected countries.
The Task Force is expected to recommend the designation of specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to facilitate controlled screening and isolation procedures. It may also consider adjustments to flight schedules to minimize contact between high-risk travellers and other passengers.
The latest measures signal the administration's determination to avoid a repeat of past public health emergencies. They aim to strengthen early detection systems, tighten border surveillance, and ensure rapid response capacity in the face of emerging disease threats.
