FG ramps up airport surveillance, isolation measures and public health response as Ebola cases resurface in parts of Africa.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the release of N10 billion as emergency funding to boost Nigeria’s preparedness against a possible Ebola outbreak following renewed cases reported in some African countries.
According to a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the intervention is aimed at strengthening the country’s health security architecture and improving its capacity to respond swiftly to any public health emergency.
The fund will support the activities of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and other critical emergency response initiatives across the country.
As part of the measures, President Tinubu also approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats. The task force will be chaired by Femi Gbajabiamila and will include representatives of relevant federal agencies and state governments.
The Federal Government said surveillance at international airports and border entry points will be intensified, with enhanced passenger screening, temperature checks and mandatory health declarations for travellers arriving from high-risk locations.
Isolation centres at Lagos and Abuja international airports are also being activated, while airport terminals, cargo facilities and baggage handling areas will undergo regular disinfection as part of preventive measures.
The move follows growing concerns over recent Ebola outbreaks reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
The government said the task force will work closely with aviation, security and diplomatic authorities to prevent the importation of the virus and strengthen national disease containment efforts.