The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a $45.8 million project to upgrade biosecurity and disease response systems at five major international airports in Nigeria.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this while briefing journalists after the council meeting at the State House.

Pate said the project, which had been in preparation for two years, would be implemented through a 20-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement involving the Bio Health Consortium and its partners.

He explained that the initiative was aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to detect and respond to infectious disease threats at its borders, noting that more than 18 million international passengers travel through the country annually.

The airports listed for the upgrade are Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu and Port Harcourt International Airport in Omagwa.

“Since COVID, we have known that there are significant vulnerabilities in terms of public health threats crossing borders, and the need for coordinated, technology-driven systems for early warning, detection, and response to infectious disease threats,” the minister said.

He stated that the project would operate under a Design, Finance, Build, Operate and Transfer (DFBOT) model, with the private partner responsible for financing, constructing, operating and maintaining the facilities throughout the 20-year concession period.

According to Pate, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) would provide regulatory supervision, while ownership of the facilities would revert to the Federal Government at the end of the concession.

The project will feature smart point-of-entry infrastructure, portable laboratories for rapid testing and data-sharing systems designed to improve coordination among agencies responsible for public health, border security and disease surveillance.

The participating agencies will include the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Port Health Services, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Pate emphasised the importance of effective border surveillance in containing infectious diseases, citing Nigeria’s response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

He said the country had maintained heightened surveillance at its points of entry before confirming a case on October 19. The patient had since recovered, he added, while contact-tracing efforts were ongoing.

The minister also explained that the proposed ₦100,000 payment to individuals placed in quarantine was intended to provide financial support for their welfare during the isolation period.

The biosecurity upgrade is expected to improve early warning, rapid diagnosis and information sharing among relevant agencies, strengthening Nigeria’s preparedness for public health emergencies and reducing the risk of infectious diseases spreading across its borders.