Tinubu approves N10bn emergency fund for ebola preparedness

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the release of N10 billion in emergency funding to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness against a potential Ebola outbreak amid renewed cases reported in parts of Africa.

The approval was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the statement, the intervention is aimed at reinforcing the country’s health security infrastructure and improving its capacity to respond swiftly to any outbreak.

The fund will primarily support the activities of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and enhance critical public health emergency response operations nationwide.

As part of the measures approved by the President, a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats has also been established.

The task force will be chaired by Femi Gbajabiamila and will comprise representatives of relevant federal agencies and state governments.

The development follows growing concerns over recent Ebola outbreaks reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

To prevent the importation of the virus, the Federal Government said it is intensifying surveillance at the nation’s borders and international airports.

Measures announced include enhanced passenger screening, stricter temperature checks, crowd-control protocols and closer monitoring of travellers arriving from high-risk destinations.

The government also directed the activation of isolation centres at international airports in Lagos and Abuja, alongside the implementation of mandatory health declaration procedures for inbound passengers.

Agencies expected to drive the response include the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, working in collaboration with state governments and other federal institutions.

Additional directives include the routine disinfection of airport terminals, cargo facilities and baggage handling areas to minimise transmission risks.

The newly established task force has also been mandated to coordinate with aviation, security and diplomatic agencies to regulate flights from affected regions and designate specific terminals for high-risk arrivals as part of broader containment efforts.