The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has dismissed concerns that the country’s land borders could serve as entry points for the Ebola virus currently affecting parts of Central and East Africa.
Speaking amid rising anxiety over the outbreak, NIS spokesperson, Akinsola Akinlabi, said all border entry points across the country are properly manned and supported by digital surveillance systems to track movements in difficult terrain.
“Our borders are not porous. Anyone who comes in is documented and must present valid travel and health credentials, including international health certificates,” he said.
Nigeria shares over 4,000 kilometres of land borders with neighbouring countries, including Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon—areas often associated with informal crossing routes.
However, the immigration service maintained that personnel presence, combined with technology, ensures effective monitoring.
Akinlabi explained that the government has deployed systems such as the Integrated Border Management System and the Migration Information and Data Analysis System to enhance border security and surveillance.
He noted that while the borders are extensive, the focus is on strengthening monitoring capacity rather than labelling them as porous.
On preparedness, the NIS said it is awaiting guidance from health authorities, particularly the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the Federal Ministry of Health, before implementing additional measures.
“We will act based on advisories from the relevant health agencies. We are ready to support national efforts to prevent any outbreak,” he added.
The reassurance comes after the World Health Organization declared the current Ebola outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern following fatalities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and spread to Uganda.
Health authorities in Nigeria have confirmed that no case linked to the outbreak has been recorded in the country.
Meanwhile, airport authorities say screening protocols have been intensified for passengers arriving from high-risk regions, with isolation measures in place for suspected cases.
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