Gilbert Ekugbe
President Bola Tinubu has approved the release of N10bn as emergency funding to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness against a possible Ebola outbreak, following renewed cases reported in parts of Africa.
According to a statement signed by the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Tuesday, the intervention is aimed at reinforcing national health security systems and improving rapid response capacity.
The statement added, “The fund will strengthen the operational preparedness of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and support critical national public health emergency response activities.”
The funding will primarily support the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
As part of the response, 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 the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will include relevant federal agencies and state representatives.
The move follows concerns over Ebola outbreaks recently reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
The statement added that Nigeria is stepping up border and airport surveillance to prevent importation of the virus.
It noted, “Intensification of passenger screening at all international airports, including enhanced temperature checks and crowd-control protocols,” will be enforced under the new directive.
Key agencies involved in implementation include the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Immigration Service, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, alongside state governments and other federal ministries.
Other measures outlined include enhanced monitoring of passengers arriving from high-risk routes, activation of isolation centres at Lagos and Abuja international airports, and mandatory health declaration systems for inbound travellers.
He also directed that airport facilities, cargo zones, and baggage areas be regularly disinfected as part of preventive measures.
The task force has been mandated to coordinate with security, aviation, and diplomatic agencies to regulate flights from affected regions and designate specific terminals for high-risk arrivals to strengthen containment procedures.
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