BREAKING: Tinubu establishes Ebola task force, approves N10 billion for emergency preparedness

Health

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats, alongside the immediate release of N10 billion to strengthen Nigeria’s readiness against potential outbreaks.

The approval follows renewed concerns over the resurgence of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, prompting the Federal Government to intensify preventive measures aimed at safeguarding public health.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the N10 billion intervention fund will enhance the operational preparedness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical emergency response activities nationwide.

The newly established Presidential Task Force will be chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will comprise representatives of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as state governments.

The decision was reached following a high-level stakeholders’ meeting chaired by the Chief of Staff to assess Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies to prevent the possible importation and spread of Ebola into the country.

Participants at the meeting included representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Lagos State Government, and other key stakeholders.

As part of the government’s preparedness strategy, President Tinubu directed all states hosting international airports and border corridors, alongside relevant MDAs, to submit detailed preparedness plans, funding requirements, and intervention needs for coordinated implementation.

The President also approved a series of immediate public health measures to strengthen surveillance and response mechanisms at points of entry.

These include intensified passenger screening at all international airports, enhanced temperature monitoring, improved crowd-control procedures, and increased surveillance of passengers arriving through identified high-risk routes.

Airlines identified for enhanced monitoring include Air Uganda, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, TAAG Angola Airlines, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines.

The Task Force has also been directed to immediately activate referral and isolation centres at the international airports in Lagos and Abuja, with similar facilities to be established at other airports across the country.

Other measures approved by the government include the mandatory activation of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers arriving from or transiting through designated high-risk countries.

The government also ordered the routine disinfection of departure halls, cargo facilities, baggage handling areas, and other airport infrastructure as precautionary measures against disease transmission.

President Tinubu further directed the advisory group to engage security agencies, diplomatic missions, and aviation authorities to review and implement additional safeguards for flights originating from affected countries.

The Task Force is expected to consider the designation of specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to facilitate controlled screening, monitoring, and isolation procedures where necessary.

It will also assess the possibility of adjusting flight schedules to minimise contact between passengers arriving from high-risk destinations and other travellers.

The Federal Government said the measures are part of a broader strategy to protect Nigerians from emerging public health threats and strengthen the country’s capacity to respond swiftly to disease outbreaks.

Nigeria successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014, a response that received international recognition and remains a reference point in the country’s public health emergency management efforts.