Nigeria Moves to Block Ebola Risk as Federal Government Sets Up Task Force

(Preventive Clothe. Photo Credit: Nigerian Eye

The Federal Government of Nigeria has set up a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness.

Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, inaugurated the task force on Thursday in Abuja, aimed at taking early action to prevent an outbreak and avoid a repeat of the 2014 Ebola crisis.

He said the inauguration marked progress in Nigeria's preparedness for the disease, noting that significant ground had already been covered.

He added that there were currently no reported cases, which he described as good news, stressing that this was precisely why all efforts needed to focus on prevention rather than response after the fact.

Gbajabiamila emphasised that government wanted to take a proactive approach rather than wait for an outbreak to occur, stating that the country did not want to find itself in the same situation as before, where a carrier was discovered within its borders and the response was chaotic and reactive.

According to him, the task force has set up dedicated teams to handle different areas of response, including disease tracking, border control management, and coordination of emergency responses.

He explained that while earlier safety measures were largely concentrated on airports, the new task force is placing additional emphasis on monitoring land borders and informal travel routes.

He noted that more ground was now being covered due to extensive cross-border migration, with the effort involving immigration authorities, the Border Control Development Agency, and local border communities.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, confirmed that health checkpoints had already been reinforced at major points of entry into the country.

He explained that the new plan brings together several government ministries and state authorities to ensure the virus does not enter the country.