Amid rising concerns over fresh Ebola outbreaks in parts of Africa, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the creation of a Presidential Task Force to coordinate Nigeria’s preparedness against the deadly virus and other emerging public health threats.
The President has also authorised the immediate release of ₦10 billion to strengthen the country’s emergency response capacity and prevent a possible outbreak within Nigeria.
The development was announced on Tuesday in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, the intervention fund will boost the operational readiness of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical response efforts as authorities move to prevent the importation of Ebola into the country.
The newly established Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats will be chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. Its membership will include representatives from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), alongside officials from state governments.
The decision comes as health authorities across Africa monitor renewed Ebola outbreaks, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, raising fears of cross-border transmission and wider public health risks on the continent.
Tinubu’s approval followed a high-level stakeholders’ meeting led by Gbajabiamila to evaluate Nigeria’s readiness and develop strategies to prevent the virus from entering and spreading within the country.
The meeting brought together officials from agencies responsible for border security, aviation, public health and national safety.
Among those present were representatives of the Federal 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 agencies involved in disease surveillance and emergency response.
As part of the national preparedness strategy, the President directed all states with international airports and border corridors to immediately submit their response plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for consideration under a coordinated national framework.
Relevant federal agencies were also instructed to provide detailed operational requirements to support the implementation of the preparedness programme.
The Task Force has been mandated to roll out a series of immediate preventive measures aimed at strengthening surveillance and reducing the risk of Ebola entering Nigeria through international travel routes.
These measures include intensified passenger screening at all international airports, enhanced temperature-monitoring systems and stricter crowd-control procedures.
Authorities have also been directed to increase surveillance of passengers arriving through routes considered to pose elevated risks.
Airlines listed for enhanced monitoring include Air Uganda, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.
In addition, referral and isolation centres are to be activated immediately at the international airports in Lagos and Abuja, while similar facilities will be established at other airports across the country in the coming weeks.
Another key aspect of the preparedness plan is the compulsory activation of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for travellers arriving from, or transiting through, countries designated as high-risk zones.
The statement noted that the measures would also include the disinfection of departure halls, cargo areas, baggage handling sections and other airport facilities as part of environmental safety precautions.
According to Onanuga, the President further directed the advisory group to engage security, diplomatic and aviation authorities on the regulation of flights from affected and designated high-risk countries.
The Task Force was also instructed to consider designating specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to enable controlled screening and isolation procedures, while adjusting flight schedules where necessary to minimise contact between high-risk passengers and other travellers.
