The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has placed the country on heightened alert over the risk of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) importation following worsening outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed this in an emergency preparedness update issued at the weekend, stating that although Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case linked to the ongoing regional outbreak, nationwide surveillance and response measures have been activated to prevent a possible spread into the country.
The update follows rising infections in the DRC and Uganda, as well as the World Health Organisation’s declaration of the situation as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
According to the NCDC, its latest dynamic risk assessment identified international travel, population movement, porous borders and delayed recognition of symptoms as key factors increasing Nigeria’s vulnerability to the disease.
“The assessment estimated the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as high due to ongoing transmission in the DRC and Uganda, international travel and population movement, uncertainty regarding the full magnitude of the outbreak, and possible delayed recognition because symptoms may overlap with malaria and Lassa fever,” the agency stated.
The NCDC said high-risk states, border communities, transport hubs and points of entry had already been identified for intensified surveillance and monitoring.
As part of preparedness efforts, the agency announced that the National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) had been placed on alert mode, while the National Incident Management System (NIMS) had been activated to coordinate rapid response activities nationwide.
Rapid Response Teams and epidemiologists across the country have also been placed on standby for immediate deployment in the event of any suspected outbreak.
The agency noted that surveillance activities had been strengthened nationwide, particularly at airports, border communities and health facilities, with officials monitoring alerts, rumours and unusual disease patterns to ensure early detection.
“NCDC is intensifying event-based surveillance and epidemic intelligence activities across the country,” the statement added.
To prevent healthcare-associated transmission, the NCDC said Ebola Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) readiness tools and checklists had been distributed to hospitals nationwide, while healthcare workers were undergoing refresher training on triage systems, case identification and protective protocols.
States have also been directed to designate isolation and treatment centres, assess bed capacity, strengthen ambulance and referral systems and stock essential emergency supplies.
The agency further disclosed that Nigeria’s laboratory network had been placed on alert, with Ebola testing capacity available in states hosting international points of entry.
Critical response materials, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), laboratory consumables, body bags and IPC supplies, are also being strategically prepositioned across the country.
Amid growing concerns and misinformation circulating online, the NCDC said it had intensified public risk communication campaigns and launched measures to counter false claims about the disease.
“NCDC has developed and disseminated Ebola myths and facts materials to address misinformation and false claims circulating online,” the agency said.
The public was advised to maintain regular hand hygiene, avoid direct contact with bodily fluids of sick individuals, promptly report unexplained illnesses or deaths and refrain from spreading unverified information.
Travellers arriving from countries with confirmed Ebola cases were urged to monitor their health for 21 days and immediately report symptoms such as fever, weakness, vomiting or unexplained bleeding.
Healthcare workers were also advised to maintain a high index of suspicion and strictly adhere to infection prevention protocols, including the proper use of PPE and immediate isolation of suspected cases.
Reassuring Nigerians, the NCDC emphasised that Ebola is not airborne and that no confirmed case linked to the regional outbreak has been recorded in the country.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as necessary,” Dr. Idris said.
Nigeria earned international recognition in 2014 for successfully containing Ebola after the virus was imported into the country by an infected traveller from Liberia.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has intensified surveillance and border health screening measures following the worsening Ebola outbreak in parts of Central and East Africa, where at least 177 deaths have reportedly been recorded from about 700 suspected cases.
The state government advised residents who have had contact with travellers from affected areas and are experiencing symptoms to call emergency lines 767 or 112, or contact the State Epidemiologist on 08023169485.
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed in a post on his X handle that no suspected or confirmed Ebola case had been recorded in the state.
“We are closely monitoring the evolving Ebola outbreak situation in Central and East Africa. We have not seen any cases resembling Ebola in Lagos to date,” Abayomi stated.
He said Lagos had activated its outbreak-tested biosecurity framework, described as a “Biosecurity Bio-shield,” designed to rapidly detect, contain and respond to high-risk infectious diseases.
According to him, the system — strengthened after the 2014 Ebola outbreak and reinforced during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent outbreaks of cholera, diphtheria and Lassa fever — remains on permanent alert.
“The Lagos State Incident Command System, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is on standby to coordinate emergency response if required,” he said.
Abayomi added that the state’s Emergency Operations Centre operates round-the-clock, with epidemiologists and surveillance officers monitoring disease signals across communities.
He also confirmed that the Lagos State Infectious Disease Hospital remains fully prepared, with isolation wards, intensive care units and case management facilities ready for any suspected infectious disease cases.
The state’s Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory in Yaba has also been placed on enhanced alert for rapid diagnosis of high-risk pathogens.
On border control measures, the commissioner said all flights arriving from East and Central Africa were undergoing intensified screening in collaboration with the NCDC, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR).
He added that surveillance had also been strengthened at seaports and land borders, with port health officials placed on heightened alert.
