Ebola: FG Pays Contacts ₦100,000 Weekly for Quarantine — Minister

The Federal Government has begun providing ₦100,000 per week to people placed under quarantine following Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has disclosed.

Pate made the disclosure on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja. He said the financial support was intended to encourage people identified as contacts to comply with quarantine directives and prevent possible community transmission.

According to the minister, some contacts have families and businesses to support but are unable to maintain their usual livelihoods while undergoing monitoring. The weekly payment is designed to reduce the financial pressure associated with remaining in quarantine.

Pate warned that allowing exposed individuals to leave designated facilities could increase the risk of spreading the virus if they subsequently develop the disease. He said the government’s priority was to identify, isolate and monitor people who may have been exposed to the confirmed patient.

The intervention follows an announcement by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), which approved the emergency allowance after some quarantined contacts raised concerns about their welfare.

NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, previously explained that the agency was already covering accommodation and feeding costs for those staying in designated facilities. The additional payment was introduced to help contacts meet family responsibilities during the monitoring period.

Health authorities have identified more than 50 primary contacts linked to the confirmed case and are continuing efforts to trace others who may have been exposed. Contacts are monitored for 21 days after their last possible exposure, in line with the virus’s incubation period.

Pate described the situation as a warning that required swift action to prevent further spread. He said the financial support was a targeted emergency measure and would not be practical if transmission escalated into widespread community outbreaks.

The minister urged cooperation with public health officials, stressing that people identified as contacts are not necessarily infected but require monitoring to detect symptoms promptly.

Authorities continue to conduct contact tracing, surveillance and other containment measures as Nigeria works to prevent additional infections.