Fresh fears over a possible Ebola outbreak have triggered emergency health surveillance measures across Nigeria after the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention placed Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory and eight other states on high alert following the resurgence of the deadly disease in parts of East and Central Africa.
According to the NCDC, the alert became necessary due to the growing spread of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola Virus Disease, which has already caused serious concern internationally. The agency warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of importing the virus because of increased international travel, porous borders, regional movement and heavy human traffic through airports and seaports. States placed under close monitoring include Lagos, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba and Adamawa alongside the FCT.
Health authorities disclosed that more than 1,000 suspected Ebola cases and over 240 deaths have already been reported in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the outbreak attracting global attention due to the absence of any approved vaccine or targeted treatment for the Bundibugyo variant. The situation has reportedly prompted tighter border controls in some countries while international health agencies intensify surveillance efforts. ..READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
The NCDC stressed that although Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case, all states have been directed to activate emergency preparedness structures immediately. Isolation centres are being identified, frontline health workers are being equipped with protective gear and surveillance at airports, seaports and border communities is being strengthened to prevent any possible importation of the virus.
Medical experts have also warned that Ebola symptoms may initially resemble malaria, Lassa fever and other common illnesses, making early detection more challenging. Authorities advised health workers not to wait for visible bleeding before suspecting Ebola in patients showing symptoms such as fever, weakness, vomiting and unexplained illness, especially among travellers arriving from affected regions.
In Lagos, the state government moved quickly to calm public fears, assuring residents that there are currently no confirmed or suspected Ebola cases within the state. The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, stated that Lagos remains fully prepared to detect and contain any biological threat, adding that the state’s emergency response system, first tested during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and later strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic, remains active and effective.
The renewed alert has revived memories of Nigeria’s successful battle against Ebola in 2014 when the disease entered the country through Liberian-American traveller Patrick Sawyer. At the time, swift intervention by health authorities, aggressive contact tracing and coordinated emergency measures helped Nigeria contain the outbreak before it spiralled out of control. The World Health Organisation later praised Nigeria’s response as one of the most effective Ebola containment efforts in Africa.
As surveillance intensifies nationwide, Nigerians have been urged to remain calm, avoid spreading misinformation, maintain proper hygiene and report any suspected symptoms early while health authorities continue efforts to prevent another public health crisis.
