President Bola 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 emergency health response capacity.
According to a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the intervention fund will bolster the operational readiness of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical public health emergency activities across the country.
The statement said the newly created task force would be chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, with membership drawn from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as representatives of state governments.
Mr Onanuga said the decision followed a high-level stakeholders’ meeting chaired by Mr Gbajabiamila to assess Nigeria’s preparedness and devise strategies to prevent the possible importation of Ebola into the country following renewed outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
Officials from the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Lagos State Government and other key institutions attended the meeting, according to the statement.
“The fund will strengthen the operational preparedness of the NCDC and support critical national public health emergency response activities,” the presidential spokesman stated.
President Tinubu also directed all states hosting international airports and border corridors, as well as relevant government agencies, to submit their preparedness plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for coordinated implementation.
The task force has been mandated to intensify passenger screening at international airports, enhance monitoring of travellers arriving through designated high-risk airline routes, and immediately activate referral and isolation centres at the international airports in Lagos and Abuja, with similar measures to be extended to other airports.
Mr Onanuga said additional measures would include mandatory QR code-based pre-arrival health declarations for passengers from high-risk countries, disinfection of airport facilities, and consultations with security, diplomatic and aviation authorities on possible flight regulations and designated terminals for high-risk arrivals to strengthen containment efforts.
