Ebola: FG Activates Emergency Response, Assures Nigerians of Containment
The Federal Government has activated emergency response mechanisms to contain an imported Ebola case in Nigeria, assuring citizens that public health authorities are strengthening surveillance, contact tracing and isolation measures to prevent further transmission.
The assurance followed an emergency meeting of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats at the State House on Wednesday.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the task force chairman and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the committee had been working behind the scenes since its inauguration in June to strengthen the country’s preparedness for Ebola and other emerging public health threats.
He attributed the identification of the index case to surveillance systems and protocols established by the Ministry of Health, the task force and relevant agencies.
Gbajabiamila said Nigeria had recorded approximately 44,000 flights into and out of the country since Ebola preparedness efforts began in June, underscoring the importance of sustained vigilance across the aviation and public health sectors.
He explained that the infected passenger initially showed no symptoms, which reportedly developed four days after the woman arrived in Abuja. According to him, established identification procedures and response protocols enabled authorities to detect the case.
The presidential aide assured Nigerians that the government would strengthen existing protocols and enforce public health measures more rigorously as the response progresses.
He also called for public cooperation, stressing the importance of building community trust and avoiding panic while ensuring compliance with official health directives.
“The Task Force is on top of it. NCDC is on top of it; everyone is on deck,” he said, urging Nigerians to support the government’s efforts to contain the disease.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also assured citizens that Nigeria had the necessary public health expertise and institutional capacity to respond to the outbreak.
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He said federal health authorities were working with state governments, private healthcare providers, immigration and aviation agencies, and other relevant institutions to strengthen surveillance and coordinate emergency interventions.
Pate disclosed that contact tracing was ongoing and that people identified as contacts of the imported case were being isolated in line with the response measures.
He added that the Federal Government, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), had activated the incident management system across relevant response areas.
According to the minister, health facilities and emergency response capabilities had also been activated to support efforts to contain the case and prevent further spread.
He said most states had response plans in place and that the government was mobilising available resources to strengthen preparedness and response capacity.
Pate urged Nigerians to comply with public health directives and avoid spreading misinformation or unverified reports capable of triggering unnecessary panic.
He expressed confidence in the country’s public health professionals, citing their experience in containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak and supporting response efforts in other countries.
The emergency meeting brought together officials from health, immigration, aviation and other relevant sectors, alongside representatives of international health organisations.
Those in attendance included the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap; Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Bunmi Kuku; WHO representative Pavel Ursu; and Dr. Aliko Ahmed, the Africa CDC’s Special Regional Representative to its Director-General.
Other participants included the Secretary of the task force, Oyinade Nathan-Marsh; Public Health Executive Niniola Williams; FCT Mandate Secretary for Health and Environment, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe; and Chairman of the State House Medical Centre’s Medical Advisory Committee, Dr. Victoria Ogala.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi; and Director of Operations, Licensing and Training Standards at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Donald Spiff, participated virtually.
The Federal Government reiterated its commitment to coordinating the national response and called on citizens to rely on verified information from public health authorities as efforts to contain the imported case continue.
By PRNigeria
