The Federal Government has assured Nigerians of its preparedness to contain Ebola, saying surveillance systems, contact tracing and emergency response mechanisms have been activated following the detection of an imported case.
The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats, Femi Gbajabiamila, gave the assurance on Wednesday after an emergency meeting of the task force at the State House, Abuja.
Gbajabiamila, who is also the Chief of Staff to the President, said the government had been working behind the scenes since the task force was inaugurated in June to strengthen the country’s preparedness against Ebola and other emerging public health threats.
According to him, the measures put in place by the Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and other relevant agencies helped authorities identify the index case shortly after symptoms developed.
He disclosed that Nigeria had recorded approximately 44,000 flights into and out of the country since concerns over Ebola emerged in June, stressing that the country’s surveillance and screening protocols had played a critical role in preparedness efforts.
“The passenger with the disease showed no symptoms, which came four days after the woman got into Abuja, and it was the identification process and the protocols that were put in place that enabled the quick identification,” Gbajabiamila said.
He added that the task force would strengthen existing protocols and ensure stricter enforcement of public health measures to prevent further transmission.
“The Task Force is on top of it. NCDC is on top of it; everyone is on deck. We must build community trust and avoid panic, but it’s also important to state clearly that this is a collaborative effort between the government and the people,” he said.
Gbajabiamila urged Nigerians to cooperate with health authorities and comply with public health directives, describing public participation as essential to containing the disease.
FG Intensifies Contact Tracing
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Mohammed Ali Pate, also assured Nigerians that the country had the technical expertise, personnel and institutional capacity required to respond to the outbreak.
Pate said public health authorities were conducting contact tracing and isolating individuals who had been in contact with the imported case.
He explained that the Federal Government, working with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the NCDC, had activated the incident management system to coordinate response efforts.
According to the minister, relevant agencies, private healthcare providers, immigration authorities, aviation officials and state-level health institutions had surveillance and emergency response systems in place.
“We have been conducting contact tracing diligently and isolating those contacts of the index imported case in this country. We will continue to do that, and we want to reassure Nigerians that the federal government, alongside its technical partners, the World Health Organisation, the Africa Centre for Disease Control, and our own Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, have activated the incident management system across the various pillars,” Pate said.
He added that hospital response capabilities had also been activated, while states were mobilising resources and implementing their respective preparedness plans.
Pate expressed confidence that the coordinated response could help contain the outbreak but warned that the government would not relax its efforts.
He urged Nigerians to follow public health advice and avoid spreading unverified information capable of triggering unnecessary panic.
“The key also for the population is to avoid spreading misinformation or baseless rumours, which can cause unnecessary panic,” the minister said.
Pate further recalled Nigeria’s experience in managing Ebola in 2014, expressing confidence in the country’s public health professionals and their ability to respond effectively to the current threat.
The emergency meeting was attended by representatives of key government agencies and health institutions, including the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the WHO, Africa CDC and the Federal Capital Territory health authorities.
Other participants included the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olajumoke Oduwole; and officials of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.
The meeting was part of the Federal Government’s efforts to coordinate a multi-agency response and strengthen measures aimed at containing the disease.
The statement was issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on October 21, 2026.
