Follow Us on Google
The Federal Government is considering flight restrictions from Ebola-affected countries and mandatory isolation for travellers showing symptoms as authorities move to shield Nigeria from a possible outbreak.
The disclosure followed a high-level emergency meeting in Victoria Island, Lagos, led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to review Nigeria’s Ebola preparedness and response strategy.
With fresh Ebola cases spreading in parts of Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, senior government officials say Nigeria is tightening its guard to avoid a repeat of past public health emergencies.
“We have a health scare, which is Ebola, and we all know what happened the last time.
The cases are getting worse internationally and worldwide, and we don’t want to leave anything to chance,” Gbajabiamila said after the meeting.
According to him, government officials examined several response options, including restricting flights from countries of concern, isolating travellers who display Ebola-related symptoms, and strengthening screening protocols across airports and border points.
“There were three, four areas we looked at. We looked at the issue of restricting flights from countries of interest. We looked at the possibility of isolating passengers who may exhibit symptoms of Ebola,” he said.
Gbajabiamila added that authorities were also considering using cargo terminals and designated facilities to handle travellers arriving from high-risk regions.
Other News
“We believe 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 the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jide Idris; the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi; and other top officials.
Gbajabiamila said President Bola Tinubu had been fully briefed on the Ebola situation in DR Congo and Uganda, assuring Nigerians that the administration would take all necessary steps to keep the virus out of the country.
On his part, Tunji-Ojo said all entry points into Nigeria would come under tighter monitoring, with the Nigeria Immigration Service working closely with the NCDC to boost early detection and emergency response.
NCDC Director-General, Dr Idris, warned that Ebola remains one of the world’s deadliest viral diseases, stressing that vigilance, rapid detection and public awareness remain Nigeria’s strongest defence.
“This particular virus has no treatment, no vaccines. So it’s the public health measures that need to be done: isolation, quick detection, public enlightenment, infection prevention and control,” Idris said.
He disclosed that preparedness plans had already been activated across all 36 states, while health advisories were being intensified for healthcare workers and the wider public.
The renewed alert comes as the World Health Organisation reported 10 confirmed and 223 suspected Ebola deaths in DR Congo since the latest outbreak was declared in mid-May, with more than 1,000 confirmed and suspected cases linked to the fast-spreading health crisis.
