Nigeria on alert: Tinubu sets up Ebola Task Force, approves N10bn

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats as part of efforts to prevent a possible outbreak in Nigeria following the resurgence of the disease in parts of Africa.

The President also approved the immediate release of N10 billion as emergency intervention funding to strengthen the country’s preparedness and response capacity against Ebola and other emerging public health threats.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the fund will be deployed to boost the operational readiness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical emergency public health 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 of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as state government officials.

The development follows reports of a resurgence of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, prompting heightened concern over the risk of cross-border transmission.

Tinubu’s approval came after a high-level stakeholders’ meeting chaired by Gbajabiamila to assess Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies to prevent the importation of the virus into the country.

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 stakeholders.

As part of the response measures, the President directed all states with international airports and border corridors, as well as relevant government agencies, to submit detailed preparedness plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for coordinated implementation.

The task force is expected to immediately intensify passenger screening at international airports through enhanced temperature checks and crowd-control measures. Authorities will also strengthen surveillance of travellers arriving through identified high-risk airline routes, including Air Uganda, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.

In addition, referral and isolation centres are to be activated immediately at the international airports in Lagos and Abuja, with similar facilities to be established at other airports across the country.

The government also ordered the activation of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers arriving from or transiting through designated high-risk countries.

Other precautionary measures include the disinfection of departure halls, baggage handling areas, cargo facilities and other airport infrastructure.

President Tinubu further directed the task force to work closely with security, diplomatic and aviation authorities on possible regulations affecting flights from affected countries. The committee will also consider designating specific terminals or airports for high-risk flights and adjusting flight schedules to minimise interaction between high-risk passengers and other travellers.

The administration said the measures are aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s disease surveillance system and preventing a repeat of past public health emergencies.