President Bola 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 N10 billion to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency health response systems.
Chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, the newly formed task force will comprise representatives from relevant ministries, departments, agencies, and state governments.
The intervention fund is specifically aimed at boosting the operational readiness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) while supporting critical public health emergency response activities across the country.
The presidency revealed that the decisive move follows growing regional concerns over the resurgence of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
President Tinubu’s approval was granted after a high-level stakeholder meeting chaired by Gbajabiamila to assess Nigeria’s current readiness and develop robust preventive strategies against the potential importation of the virus.
The strategic session included key representatives from the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the Lagos State Government.
As part of the immediate emergency measures, President Tinubu has directed all states hosting international airports and border corridors to submit detailed intervention plans and funding requirements to ensure a coordinated national implementation.
Consequently, the presidency announced significantly stricter surveillance measures at the nation’s entry points.
These enhanced protocols will include intensified passenger screening, mandatory temperature checks, crowd-control measures, and increased monitoring of passengers arriving via designated high-risk airline routes, including carriers such as Air Uganda, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, TAAG Angola Airlines, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines.
Furthermore, the federal government disclosed that referral and isolation centres at the Lagos and Abuja international airports are to be activated immediately, with plans to extend similar arrangements nationwide.
Additional approved protocols include the mandatory activation of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers coming from high-risk countries, alongside the regular disinfection of airport facilities, cargo areas, and baggage halls.
Moving forward, the task force has been mandated to engage with security, diplomatic, and aviation authorities to regulate flights from affected nations, which may include designating specific terminals for high-risk flights and adjusting flight schedules to minimize passenger interaction.
