Federal Government of Nigeria is considering imposing travel restrictions on flights arriving from Ebola-affected countries as authorities step up emergency preparedness measures to prevent a possible outbreak in the country.
The move follows a high-level strategic meeting held in Victoria Island, Lagos, where top government officials, health authorities, security agencies and emergency response stakeholders reviewed Nigeria’s Ebola preparedness and response framework amid rising concerns over the outbreak in parts of Central and East Africa.
The emergency meeting was convened on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Speaking after the meeting, Gbajabiamila said the Federal Government was examining several preventive measures, including possible restrictions on flights from countries currently battling Ebola outbreaks.
“We have a health scare, which is Ebola, and we all know what happened the last time,” Gbajabiamila said.
“The cases are getting worse, internationally and worldwide, and we don’t want to leave anything to chance.”
He disclosed that discussions at the meeting focused on tightening border surveillance and establishing stronger isolation protocols at Nigeria’s airports and other entry points.
“There were three, four areas we looked at. We looked at the issue of possibility, as of now, of restricting flights from countries of interest,” he said.
“We looked at the possibilities of isolating passengers who may exhibit symptoms of Ebola.”
Gbajabiamila added that authorities were also considering using cargo terminals for processing passengers arriving from high-risk countries while enhancing health protocols at ports of entry.
“We believe that prevention is better than cure, and where some passengers slip through the cracks, then we must have ways of dealing with situations such as that,” he stated.
The meeting was attended by key officials including Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Jide Idris and Akin Abayomi.
Tunji-Ojo later confirmed that all points of entry into Nigeria would be placed under strict surveillance to prevent any possible importation of the virus.
“As the Minister of Interior, I joined key stakeholders in Lagos today for a critical high-level emergency preparedness meeting convened on the directive of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the minister said in a statement posted on his official X account.
“While there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola in Nigeria, we are not leaving anything to chance.”
The minister said the Ministry of Interior was prioritising border control and intensified screening operations at airports, seaports and land borders.
“At the Ministry of Interior, our focus remains firm on border control and robust screening at all points of entry; airports, seaports, and land borders,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
“We are enhancing monitoring and surveillance protocols using available technology and structured decision-making mechanisms to prevent the virus from entering the country.”
He added that the Nigeria Immigration Service would work closely with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies to strengthen early detection and rapid response mechanisms.
Tunji-Ojo also referenced Nigeria’s successful containment of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, expressing confidence that the country could effectively respond again if necessary.
“Together, drawing lessons from our successful containment of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, we are confident that Nigeria will once again rise to the challenge and protect our country,” he said.
Meanwhile, NCDC Director-General Dr. Jide Idris warned that Ebola remains one of the world’s most dangerous viral diseases, stressing that vigilance and rapid detection remain critical because there is currently no approved cure or vaccine for the strain involved in the latest outbreak.
“This particular virus has no treatment, no vaccines,” Idris said.
“So it’s the public health measures that need to be done — isolation, quick detection, public enlightenment, infection prevention, and control.”
According to him, preparedness plans have already been activated across all 36 states and at all ports of entry nationwide.
“We have our preparedness plan; it’s covering all state governments, all ports of entry,” he added.
Idris further disclosed that public awareness campaigns would be intensified while healthcare workers across the country are being placed on heightened alert because of their vulnerability to infection.
The renewed alert follows worsening Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 1,000 confirmed and suspected Ebola cases have been recorded in DR Congo since the outbreak was declared in mid-May.
WHO said at least 10 confirmed deaths and 223 suspected deaths have already been linked to the outbreak.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that insecurity and prolonged conflict in eastern Congo were complicating containment efforts and increasing the risk of wider transmission.
