PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the creation of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats, alongside the immediate release of ₦10 billion to strengthen Nigeria’s readiness against potential Ebola outbreaks and other public health emergencies.
The announcement was made by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who stated that the emergency fund would enhance the operational capacity of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical national health response initiatives.
The newly established Task Force will be chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will comprise representatives from key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as state governments.
According to Onanuga, the decision followed a high-level stakeholder meeting convened to assess Nigeria’s preparedness and develop preventive measures against the possible importation of Ebola, following recent outbreaks in neighbouring African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
The meeting brought together representatives from several strategic institutions, including the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the Lagos State Government.
As part of the emergency response framework, President Tinubu directed all states with international airports and border entry points to submit their preparedness plans, funding requirements, and intervention needs for coordinated implementation.
The Task Force has also been mandated to strengthen surveillance and screening measures at Nigeria’s international airports.
Planned interventions include enhanced temperature screening, stricter crowd-control procedures, and intensified monitoring of passengers arriving from high-risk routes served by airlines such as Air Uganda, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines.
Additionally, 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.
Further preventive measures include the mandatory use of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for travellers coming from or transiting through designated high-risk countries, as well as routine disinfection of airport terminals, baggage areas, cargo facilities, and other critical infrastructure.
The President also instructed the advisory group to engage security, diplomatic, and aviation stakeholders on possible regulations for flights originating from affected regions.
The Task Force will further assess the designation of specific terminals or airports for high-risk flights and may recommend flight schedule adjustments to reduce interaction between potentially exposed passengers and the wider travelling public.
The initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s broader effort to safeguard public health, strengthen disease surveillance systems, and ensure rapid response capabilities in the event of an Ebola outbreak or other emerging health threats.
