In a decisive move to protect public health, the Federal Government has activated comprehensive emergency protocols and stepped up contact tracing to prevent an outbreak of the Ebola virus from spreading across the nation.
Assurances came from the Chief of Staff to the President and head of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Femi Gbajabiamila, following a high-level crisis session at the State House. He explained that proactive screening mechanisms established earlier in the year were instrumental in detecting the imported index case, demonstrating the effectiveness of the country’s defensive measures.
Highlighting the scale of border monitoring, Gbajabiamila noted that surveillance teams had tracked roughly 44,000 inbound and outbound flights since preventive systems were reinforced in June. The confirmed patient initially showed no warning signs during transit and only exhibited symptoms four days after landing in Abuja, yet established surveillance channels quickly isolated the case. Urging citizens to remain composed, Gbajabiamila emphasized that containing the virus requires joint civic responsibility, strict adherence to health guidelines, and zero tolerance for panic.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, disclosed that an incident management framework is actively running across critical sectors, including immigration services, aviation regulators, regional clinics, and state surveillance networks. Contacts linked to the infected traveler have been identified and placed into quarantine in line with standard epidemiological practice.
Pate highlighted that the national response is closely synchronized with international and domestic partners, such as the World Health Organization, Africa CDC, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. Pointing to the country’s triumph over the 2014 Ebola crisis, the minister cautioned the public against amplifying rumors or false information, urging citizens to rely exclusively on verified advisories from official health authorities.
The State House strategy meeting convened top sector leaders and global health delegates, including Immigration Comptroller-General Kemi Nandap, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria chief Bunmi Kuku, WHO representative Pavel Ursu, and Africa CDC regional envoy Dr. Aliko Ahmed, alongside key state commissioners and aviation executives participating in person and virtually.
Federal authorities reiterated that their core objectives remain halting transmission through aggressive contact management, reinforcing screening checkpoints, and maintaining transparent communication with the public.
