From Victor Osula, Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats, alongside the immediate release of ₦10 billion as emergency intervention funding to strengthen Nigeria’s response capability against possible disease outbreaks.
The intervention fund is expected to reinforce the operational preparedness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical public health emergency response mechanisms across the country.
The latest action by the Presidency follows growing concerns over the resurgence of Ebola in parts of Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, raising fears over the possible importation of the deadly virus into Nigeria through international travel routes and border corridors.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Presidential Task Force would be chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, with membership drawn from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as representatives of state governments and other key institutions.
According to the Presidency, President Tinubu approved the initiative following a stakeholder meeting convened under the chairmanship of Gbajabiamila to review Nigeria’s level of preparedness and formulate strategies to prevent the entry and spread of Ebola within the country.
The meeting brought together officials from several critical agencies, including 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 stakeholders involved in public health and border management.
As part of efforts to strengthen the country’s emergency response architecture, President Tinubu directed all states hosting international airports and international border corridors, alongside relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, to submit their preparedness plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for coordinated national implementation.
The Task Force has also been mandated to immediately activate a series of preventive measures across the country’s entry points.
These measures include intensified passenger screening at international airports through enhanced temperature checks and stricter crowd-control procedures for early detection and containment.
Government authorities are also expected to increase surveillance of passengers arriving through routes classified as high-risk, including Air Uganda, Rwanda Air, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.
In addition, referral and isolation centres are to be activated immediately at Lagos and Abuja international airports, with plans for expansion to other airports nationwide.
The Federal Government also directed the mandatory deployment of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers arriving from or transiting through designated high-risk countries.
Environmental precautionary measures were equally approved, including the disinfection of departure halls, cargo sections, baggage handling areas and other airport facilities considered vulnerable to possible contamination.
President Tinubu further instructed the advisory group to consult with security, diplomatic and aviation authorities on possible regulatory measures for flights originating from affected countries and other locations designated as high-risk zones.
The Task Force is also expected to designate specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights in order to facilitate more controlled screening and isolation procedures while considering adjustments to flight schedules to reduce interaction between high-risk passengers and the wider travelling public.
The latest intervention reflects growing efforts by the Federal Government to strengthen disease surveillance systems and avoid a repeat of previous public health emergencies.
Nigeria had previously gained international recognition for successfully containing Ebola during earlier outbreaks through aggressive contact tracing, coordinated emergency response mechanisms and public health interventions.
The Presidency expressed confidence that early preparedness measures and coordinated institutional responses would significantly reduce potential risks and strengthen national resilience against emerging public health threats.
