The Federal Government on Thursday officially launched the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness at the State House in Abuja, as part of efforts to maintain Nigeria’s zero-case status and strengthen the country’s epidemic response capacity across Africa.
The development was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, titled “Federal Government Inaugurates Presidential Task Force On Ebola Preparedness, Targets Zero Ebola Case.”
Chairing the task force, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the administration was reinforcing preventive systems to ensure Nigeria remains free of Ebola while improving readiness for any possible outbreak.
He noted that the government was drawing lessons from the 2014 Ebola outbreak, when a carrier’s arrival in Lagos triggered a nationwide emergency response that nearly overwhelmed the health system before it was eventually contained.
“We inaugurated the committee today on Nigeria’s preparedness for the Ebola Virus Disease.
“We have covered a lot of ground, and there are presently no reported cases in the country, which is good news.
That is why all hands must be on deck to ensure that preventive measures are prioritised rather than curative measures,” he said.
Gbajabiamila stressed the importance of avoiding a repeat of past mistakes, recalling how the earlier outbreak exposed gaps in emergency coordination.
“We do not want a repeat of what happened during the last outbreak when a carrier entered the country, and everyone was scrambling to respond.
“Today, we have covered a lot of ground and established structures to address any potential threat.
“We have set up sub-committees to address key areas of concern, and hopefully Nigeria will take the lead among African nations. We will not follow, we will lead.”
He added that Nigeria’s current preparedness strategy is based on institutional lessons learned from 2014, when the country’s response, though eventually successful, was initially reactive and uncoordinated.
“We have learnt valuable lessons from the 2014 outbreak and are building on those gains by putting structures in place to eliminate any gaps in our preparedness,” he said.
The Chief of Staff also explained that coordination mechanisms have been established with states hosting international airports, including Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Enugu and the Federal Capital Territory, to strengthen surveillance and rapid response at key entry points.
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He further noted that land borders were receiving special attention due to the high volume of cross-border movement in Nigeria’s frontier regions.
“There is also significant emphasis on land borders because of the high volume of cross-border movements.
“The Border Management Agency, Immigration Service and border communities are all involved,” he said.
According to him, the task force is designed as a long-term institutional structure rather than a temporary emergency response mechanism.
“We want to put in place permanent arrangements and structures so that in two or three years, if another outbreak occurs, we will not be running from pillar to post trying to establish response mechanisms,” he said.
He added that the task force includes sub-committees covering border management, immigration control and disease surveillance, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention providing overall technical coordination.
The inauguration brought together senior government officials, health authorities, aviation regulators and international health partners.
Among those present were the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jide Idris; and the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku.
Others included the WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Nigeria, Dr Pavel Ursu; Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi; and several senior officials from the FCT, Rivers, and Enugu State health ministries, among others.
The initiative follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval of N10bn in emergency funding for Ebola preparedness, alongside enhanced measures at international airports such as passenger screening, temperature checks, QR code-based health declarations for travellers from high-risk countries, and activation of isolation and referral centres in Lagos and Abuja.