President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved ₦10 billion in emergency funding to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness against Ebola and other emerging public health threats, while appointing his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to lead a presidential task force on the response.
According to a State House statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on June 9, the funding is intended to boost the operational capacity of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and strengthen the country’s ability to detect, prevent and contain potential disease outbreaks.
The intervention follows concerns over Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, prompting the Federal Government to intensify preventive measures to reduce the risk of the disease entering Nigeria.
As part of the response, Tinubu directed states with international airports and border corridors, alongside relevant government agencies, to submit detailed response plans, budgets and operational requirements following a high-level meeting chaired by Gbajabiamila.
The President also ordered the immediate activation of isolation and referral centres at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. Similar arrangements are expected to be established at other airports.
The measures further include the introduction of a QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration system for passengers travelling from or transiting through designated high-risk countries.
Airport facilities, including departure halls, cargo areas and baggage-handling sections, are also to undergo disinfection as part of efforts to strengthen infection prevention and control.
The presidential task force has additionally been directed to designate specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to facilitate controlled screening and isolation procedures.
The Federal Government said the ₦10 billion intervention would support critical public health emergency response activities and improve Nigeria’s capacity to respond to potential health threats.
The measures are part of broader efforts to strengthen national surveillance, preparedness and emergency response systems amid concerns over the spread of infectious diseases in parts of Africa.