Nigeria has intensified nationwide surveillance and emergency preparedness measures against Ebola Virus Disease following the growing outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Saturday.
In a fresh public health advisory issued by the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, on Sunday, the agency said Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed case linked to the ongoing regional outbreak but warned that the risk of importation remains high because of international travel, population movement and the scale of transmission in affected East African countries.
The agency said its latest risk assessment identified border communities, major transport hubs and international points of entry as high-risk areas requiring enhanced monitoring.
“This assessment estimated the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as high due to the ongoing transmission in the DRC and Uganda, international travel and population movement, uncertainty regarding the full magnitude of the outbreak, and the potential for delayed recognition because symptoms may overlap with endemic diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever,” the advisory stated.
The NCDC said the National Emergency Operations Centre has been placed on alert mode, while the National Incident Management System has been activated with clear reporting and escalation pathways to coordinate response activities nationwide.
According to the agency, epidemiologists and Rapid Response Teams have also been placed on standby for possible deployment to any state if required.
The public health agency disclosed that it is strengthening coordination with state Ministries of Health, Port Health Services and other relevant government agencies as part of efforts to improve national readiness.
The agency further stated that surveillance and epidemic intelligence activities have been intensified across the country, including enhanced monitoring of unusual public health events, rumours and alerts to ensure early detection of suspected cases.
“Enhanced surveillance activities are also ongoing at points of entry and border communities,” it added.
As part of infection prevention efforts, the NCDC said Ebola preparedness tools and checklists have been distributed to healthcare facilities nationwide, while refresher trainings are ongoing for health workers on triage systems, infection prevention protocols and early identification of suspected viral haemorrhagic fever cases.
The agency said states have also been advised to designate isolation and treatment centres, assess bed capacity, improve logistics systems and ensure availability of emergency medical supplies.
It noted that plans are underway to preposition critical response materials such as personal protective equipment, body bags, laboratory consumables and other emergency supplies in strategic locations across the country.
On laboratory preparedness, the NCDC said Nigeria currently maintains testing capability in states with international ports of entry and within the national public health laboratory network, adding that surge capacity for Ebola testing remains available if necessary.
The agency also warned against misinformation, saying it has intensified public awareness campaigns and developed “Ebola Myths and Facts” materials to counter false claims circulating online.
Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often fatal illness transmitted through direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids, secretions or contaminated materials.
Symptoms include fever, weakness, headache and muscle pain. Health experts say the disease does not spread through the air.
Nigeria’s latest alert revives memories of the country’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014 after an infected Liberian-American diplomat, Patrick Sawyer, arrived in Lagos from Liberia.
The outbreak led to 20 confirmed cases and eight deaths before health authorities succeeded in stopping further transmission through aggressive contact tracing, isolation measures and public awareness campaigns.
Nigeria’s response at the time was widely praised by the World Health Organisation and has since been regarded as one of Africa’s most effective epidemic containment efforts.
The current regional concern follows renewed Ebola outbreaks in parts of Central and East Africa, particularly in Uganda and the DRC, where health authorities continue to battle recurring viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks amid cross-border movement and fragile health systems.
Public health experts have repeatedly warned that increased global travel and porous borders continue to pose significant risks for countries across Africa, including Nigeria, despite improved disease surveillance systems established after the COVID-19 pandemic and previous outbreaks of Ebola, monkeypox and Lassa fever.
