Ebola: Nigeria’s readiness stands at 59%, says NCDC DG

By Lawrence Agbo

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Jide Idris, has disclosed that Nigeria is currently 59 per cent prepared to respond to a potential Ebola outbreak, warning that significant gaps still exist despite ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s public health response system.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, Idris said a recent national assessment conducted by the agency revealed weaknesses in Nigeria’s preparedness framework, particularly at points of entry into the country.

According to him, the evaluation was designed to determine the country’s level of readiness, identify vulnerabilities and guide measures needed to prevent the importation of the deadly virus.

“Our recent latest level of assessment puts us at about 59 percent. But that’s quite variable. You can’t be 100 percent prepared, but the essence is that we keep preparing because things change,” Idris said.

“To be frank, we are not 100 percent ready, but we are improving our readiness. This is a readiness that has to cover the whole country.”

While acknowledging that no country can be completely prepared for every health emergency, Idris said Nigeria continues to improve its response capacity.

He explained that the NCDC has been working with state governments to assess critical areas such as isolation facilities, emergency operation centres, infrastructure and medical stockpiles that may be required if an outbreak occurs.

The warning comes amid growing concern over ongoing Ebola outbreaks in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which health authorities say increase Nigeria’s risk due to international travel and cross-border movements.

Idris said one of the key concerns identified during the assessment was the country’s entry points, especially international airports, where infected travellers could potentially introduce the virus into Nigeria.

He revealed that the Federal Ministry of Health has already issued protocols to relevant agencies to strengthen monitoring and screening of incoming travellers as part of efforts to prevent the disease from entering the country.

Beyond air travel, the NCDC boss described Nigeria’s porous land borders as an even greater challenge, noting that many people enter the country through unofficial routes that are difficult to monitor.

He stressed that authorities are intensifying surveillance and preparedness measures to address the risk.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014, Idris said the experience remains a valuable reference point for current preparedness efforts.

He added that the country has since expanded its laboratory network and improved disease detection systems, although more work is required to strengthen nationwide response capacity.

“The year 2014 was interesting because we had never had that experience before. But we were lucky to have the experience of the WHO and the Centres for Disease Control, who actually provided guidance,” he said.

“At the start, nobody knew what the problem was, but again, we learned as we were going along.
“Over the years again, we’ve expanded on what we have, especially the laboratory system. The idea is to extend that capacity to some laboratories, especially those where they have a contingency for international travel.”

The NCDC DG also noted that the country is currently dealing with several disease outbreaks, including cholera and Lassa fever, placing additional pressure on the public health system as authorities remain alert to the threat of Ebola.