Nigeria Sets Up Presidential Task Force as Ebola Threat Raises Fresh Concerns

This comes after President Bola Tinubu approved the release of ₦10 billion in emergency funding to strengthen the country's preparedness and response capacity against Ebola and other public health threats earlier in June.

The funds will support the operational readiness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and other emergency response activities.

According to a statement from the Presidency, the move follows reports of Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, raising concerns about the possible importation of the virus into Nigeria.

The newly created task force will be chaired by the President's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will include representatives of key ministries, government agencies and state governments. It is expected to assess Nigeria's preparedness and coordinate response strategies nationwide.

As part of the measures, all states with international airports and border entry points have been directed to submit "preparedness plans, funding requirements and intervention needs" for coordinated implementation.

The government will also intensify passenger screening at international airports, strengthen monitoring of travellers arriving through high-risk routes and activate referral and isolation centres in Lagos and Abuja.

Authorities are expected to introduce QR code-based health declaration systems for passengers arriving from designated high-risk countries.

Officials said the measures are intended to prevent a repeat of past public health emergencies and strengthen Nigeria's disease surveillance system.

Nigeria earned international praise in 2014 for successfully containing an Ebola outbreak after the virus entered the country through an infected traveller.

The World Health Organisation later described the response as evidence that the disease could be contained with swift action.