Nigeria on High Ebola Alert as NCDC Activates Emergency Response

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has placed Nigeria on heightened Ebola alert, warning that the country faces a high risk of importing the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) due to worsening outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

Director-General Dr. Jide Idris said although Nigeria had not recorded any confirmed Ebola case linked to the regional outbreak, nationwide surveillance and emergency response systems had already been activated to prevent a possible outbreak.

According to the NCDC, factors increasing Nigeria’s vulnerability include international travel, porous borders, population movement and delayed recognition of symptoms, which often resemble malaria and Lassa fever. The agency revealed that high-risk states, border communities, airports and transport hubs had been identified for intensified monitoring.

The NCDC placed its National Emergency Operations Centre on alert mode and activated the National Incident Management System to coordinate rapid response efforts nationwide. Rapid Response Teams and epidemiologists have also been placed on standby for immediate deployment if any suspected case emerges.

The agency said surveillance had been strengthened across airports, border communities and health facilities, while hospitals nationwide had received Ebola Infection Prevention and Control readiness tools. Healthcare workers are also undergoing refresher training on triage systems, case identification and protective protocols.

States were directed to designate isolation and treatment centres, assess bed capacity, improve ambulance and referral systems and stock emergency medical supplies. Nigeria’s laboratory network has equally been placed on alert, with testing capability available in states hosting international entry points.

The NCDC also intensified public awareness campaigns to counter misinformation circulating online, stressing that Ebola is not airborne and that Nigeria currently has no confirmed case tied to the outbreak.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has strengthened surveillance and border screening following reports that at least 177 people had died from about 700 suspected Ebola cases across Central and East Africa.

Lagos State Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi assured residents that no suspected or confirmed Ebola case had been detected in Lagos. He said the state’s biosecurity framework and Emergency Operations Centre remained on standby under Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu to coordinate any emergency response if necessary.

Abayomi added that intensified screening had begun for flights arriving from East and Central Africa in collaboration with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research.