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 capacity to prevent and respond to a possible outbreak.
This is sequel to the renewed concerns over the resurgence of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, prompting the Federal Government to activate preventive measures aimed at stopping the virus from entering the country.
The emergency funding will support the operational readiness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and enhance critical public health response activities across the country.
According to a statement, the newly constituted task force will be chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will comprise representatives from key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as state governments.
The approval followed a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened by Gbajabiamila to assess Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies to forestall any outbreak within the nation’s borders.
Officials from the Ministry of Interior, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Lagos State Government and other critical agencies involved in disease surveillance and border management attended the meeting.
As part of the emergency measures, President Tinubu directed states hosting international airports and major border corridors to submit comprehensive preparedness plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for coordinated implementation by the Federal Government.
The task force has also been mandated to intensify passenger screening at international airports through enhanced temperature checks and stricter crowd-control measures.
Authorities have been directed to strengthen monitoring of passengers arriving through identified high-risk routes, including flights operated by Air Uganda, RwandaAir, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.
The government further ordered the immediate activation of referral and isolation centres at the Lagos and Abuja international airports, with plans to establish similar facilities at other designated entry points nationwide.
In addition, passengers arriving from or transiting through countries classified as high risk will now be required to complete QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration forms.
Other precautionary measures include the disinfection of departure halls, cargo terminals, baggage handling areas and other airport facilities.
President Tinubu also directed the advisory group to engage security, diplomatic and aviation authorities on possible regulations governing flights from affected countries.
The task force is expected to recommend designated airports or terminals for high-risk flights to ensure effective screening and isolation procedures, while also considering adjustments to flight schedules to minimise contact between high-risk travellers and other passengers.
The latest intervention underscores the Federal Government’s determination to strengthen early detection systems, tighten border surveillance and ensure rapid response capabilities against emerging public health threats.
