President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats, following the recent resurgence of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The President also ordered the immediate release of ₦10 billion as emergency intervention funding to strengthen Nigeria’s public health preparedness and response capacity.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, the fund will support the operational preparedness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, and other critical national public health emergency response activities.
The Presidential Task Force on Ebola will be chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, with membership drawn from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, as well as state representatives.
Onanuga said the President’s approval followed a stakeholder meeting convened under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff to review Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies to prevent the possible importation of Ebola into the country.
The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including representatives of the Ministry of Interior, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Lagos State Government, and other relevant agencies.
President Tinubu also directed all states hosting international airports and international border corridors, as well as relevant MDAs, to submit their preparedness plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for consideration and coordinated implementation.
As part of the measures to be implemented, the Task Force is expected to intensify passenger screening at all international airports, including enhanced temperature checks and crowd-control protocols.
It will also enhance monitoring of passengers arriving through high-risk airline routes, including Air Uganda, Rwanda Air, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.
The President further directed the immediate activation of referral and isolation centres at Lagos and Abuja international airports, while other airports are expected to follow.
Other measures include the mandatory activation of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers originating from or transiting through designated high-risk countries.
The Task Force will also ensure the disinfection of departure halls, cargo areas, baggage sections and airport facilities as precautionary environmental measures.
Tinubu also mandated the advisory group to consult with security, diplomatic and aviation authorities on possible regulation of flights from affected and designated high-risk countries.
The Task Force has also been directed to designate specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to enable controlled screening and isolation procedures.
It is further expected to consider adjusting flight timings to minimise interaction between high-risk passengers and other travellers.
The move comes amid renewed concerns over the spread of Ebola in parts of Africa and the need to strengthen Nigeria’s border health surveillance and emergency response systems.
