President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate release of N10 billion to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness against the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak currently affecting parts of East and Central Africa.
The President also approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness following growing concerns over the spread of the disease, which has claimed hundreds of lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
According to a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the task force will be chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will include representatives from key ministries, departments, agencies, and state governments.
The N10 billion intervention fund is expected to boost the operational readiness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention while supporting critical national public health emergency response initiatives.
The decision followed a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened by Gbajabiamila to assess Nigeria’s level of preparedness and response capacity.
Representatives from several agencies participated in the meeting, including the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and the Lagos State Government.
As part of a series of directives aimed at preventing the virus from entering the country, Tinubu ordered the immediate strengthening of passenger screening procedures at all international airports.
The measures include enhanced temperature monitoring, stricter crowd-control protocols, and increased surveillance of travellers arriving through airline routes considered high-risk. These include flights operated by Air Uganda, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines, all of which provide direct or connecting services from affected regions.
The President also directed authorities to activate referral and isolation centres at international airports in Lagos and Abuja, with similar facilities expected to be established at other airports nationwide.
In addition, travellers arriving from or transiting through designated high-risk countries will be required to complete QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration procedures.
To further strengthen preventive efforts, Tinubu ordered the disinfection of airport departure halls, cargo terminals, baggage handling areas, and other critical airport facilities.
The task force was also instructed to consider designating specific terminals or airports for high-risk flights to enable controlled screening and isolation processes. Authorities may also adjust flight schedules where necessary to reduce interaction between high-risk travellers and other passengers.
The President further directed consultations with aviation, security, and diplomatic stakeholders on the possibility of regulating flights originating from countries affected by the outbreak.
States hosting international airports and major border corridors, alongside relevant government agencies, have also been instructed to submit their preparedness plans, funding requirements, and intervention needs for coordinated implementation.
Outbreak Continues to Expand
The ongoing outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola virus. The outbreak was first confirmed in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 15, 2026, before spreading across borders after a case was detected in Kampala, Uganda.
Data released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control showed that as of June 7, there were 515 confirmed cases, 91 confirmed deaths, and 283 individuals in isolation.
Earlier figures released on May 29 indicated that suspected infections had reached 1,037, while fatalities stood at 349.
Health experts note that the Bundibugyo strain presents an additional challenge because there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment approved for the virus. However, early detection and supportive medical care have proven effective in improving survival rates.
Previous outbreaks involving the Bundibugyo strain recorded case fatality rates ranging between 30 and 50 per cent.
Lessons from Nigeria’s 2014 Ebola Response
Nigeria’s health authorities remain particularly vigilant due to the country’s experience during the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak.
The country recorded 20 confirmed Ebola cases and eight deaths after Patrick Sawyer arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport while infected with the virus.
Nigeria’s successful containment of that outbreak has since been recognised internationally as a benchmark for rapid public health response and disease surveillance.
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