President Bola Ahmed 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 readiness against a possible outbreak.
The approval comes amid renewed concerns over the resurgence of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, prompting the Federal Government to intensify preventive measures against the possible importation of the disease into Nigeria.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the emergency intervention fund will enhance the operational preparedness of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical public health emergency response activities nationwide.
The newly established Presidential Task Force will be chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will comprise representatives from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as state government representatives.
The President’s directive followed a high-level stakeholders’ meeting chaired by Gbajabiamila to assess Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies to prevent the entry and spread of Ebola and other emerging public health threats.
Participants at the meeting included representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Lagos State Government, and other key agencies involved in public health and border management.
As part of the government’s response strategy, President Tinubu directed all states hosting international airports and border corridors to submit detailed preparedness plans, funding requirements, and intervention needs for coordinated implementation.
The Task Force has also been mandated to immediately implement several preventive measures, including intensified passenger screening at all international airports through enhanced temperature checks and crowd-control protocols.
Authorities will further increase surveillance of passengers arriving through identified high-risk routes, particularly flights operated by Air Uganda, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines.
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In addition, referral and isolation centres are to be activated immediately at the international airports in Lagos and Abuja, with similar facilities expected to be established at other airports across the country.
The Federal Government also approved the mandatory use of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for travellers originating from or transiting through designated high-risk countries.
Other precautionary measures include the routine disinfection of airport departure halls, cargo handling areas, baggage sections, and other airport facilities.
President Tinubu further directed the advisory group to engage security, diplomatic, and aviation authorities on the possibility of regulating flights from affected and designated high-risk countries.
The Task Force is also expected to identify specific airports or terminals for handling high-risk flights to facilitate controlled screening and isolation procedures, while considering flight scheduling adjustments to minimise interaction between potentially high-risk passengers and other travellers.
The latest measures underscore the Federal Government’s determination to prevent a repeat of the 2014 Ebola outbreak and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to respond swiftly to emerging public health threats.