The Federal Government has activated emergency response measures, including contact tracing, isolation and enhanced surveillance, following the detection of an imported Ebola case in Abuja.
The government gave the assurance on Wednesday after an emergency meeting of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Viral Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats at the State House, Abuja.
The task force chairman and Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, said Nigeria’s existing surveillance systems and coordinated response mechanisms had enabled the early identification of the case.
He explained that the task force, inaugurated in June, had been strengthening the country’s preparedness for emerging public health threats in collaboration with relevant agencies.
According to him, approximately 44,000 flights had travelled into and out of Nigeria since concerns over Ebola emerged in June, highlighting the scale of the surveillance efforts required to protect public health.
Gbajabiamila disclosed that the infected passenger initially showed no symptoms, which reportedly developed four days after she arrived in Abuja.
He said the government would review existing measures, address identified gaps and ensure stricter compliance with public health protocols.
The presidential aide urged Nigerians to remain calm, cooperate with health authorities and avoid actions that could undermine containment efforts.
He stressed that effective control of the outbreak required collaboration between the government and the public, alongside trust in official health guidance.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said Nigeria had trained health professionals and established surveillance structures to support the response.
Pate disclosed that contact tracing was ongoing and that people identified as contacts of the imported case were being isolated in accordance with established public health protocols.
He said the government had mobilised relevant agencies, including immigration, aviation, interior and health authorities, as well as private healthcare providers and state governments, to strengthen surveillance and containment efforts.
According to the minister, the Federal Government, working with the World Health Organisation, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, had activated the incident management system across various response areas.
He added that response teams were working continuously and hospital capacities had been activated to help contain the case and prevent further transmission.
Pate also expressed confidence that the country’s public health infrastructure and the experience gained during Nigeria’s successful response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak would support the current efforts.
He, however, emphasised the need for continued vigilance, public cooperation and responsible information sharing, warning against the circulation of unverified reports capable of causing unnecessary panic.
The meeting was attended by key officials from the Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, World Health Organisation, Africa CDC and other relevant institutions.
Participants included Immigration Comptroller-General Kemi Nandap, FAAN Managing Director Bunmi Kuku, WHO representative Pavel Ursu and Africa CDC Special Regional Representative to the Director-General, Dr Aliko Ahmed.
Other officials participated virtually, including Industry, Trade and Investment Minister Jumoke Oduwole, Lagos State Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority Director of Operations, Licensing and Training Standards, Capt. Donald Spiff.
The Federal Government reiterated its commitment to working with state governments, healthcare institutions and international partners to contain the imported case, strengthen national preparedness and protect Nigerians from further transmission.