Ebola: FG Assures Nigerians Of Containment Strategies As Task Force Meets
By: Odeh Favour
The Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats has assured Nigerians that it has the capacity to handle the Ebola virus in the country.
In a press statement released on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, via his official X handle (@aonanuga), the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed details of an emergency meeting held by the task force at the State House.
Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, the Chairman of the Task Force and Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, revealed that the committee had been working behind the scenes since its inauguration in June, which enabled the early detection of the index case discovered on Tuesday.
“It’s very important to note this. Since the issue of Ebola came up in June, there have been about 44,000 flights in and out of Nigeria. So, it’s because of what the Ministry of Health, the task force and all the agencies have been doing. All hands have been on deck,” Gbajabiamila stated.
“The passenger with the disease showed no symptoms, which came four days after the woman got into Abuja, and it was the identification process and the protocols that were put in place that enabled the quick identification. It also speaks to the country’s capacity to deal with this disease as best as we can,” he said.
Gbajabiamila assured Nigerians that the Task Force would strengthen existing protocols and ensure more rigorous enforcement going forward.
“The Task Force is on top of it. NCDC is on top of it; everyone is on deck. We must build community trust and avoid panic, but it’s also important to state clearly that this is a collaborative effort between the government and the people,” he noted, while appealing to citizens to respond to calls for compliance for the good of all.
Also speaking, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, stated that competent health authorities, private hospital operators, subnational actors, and relevant agencies including Immigration, Aviation, and Interior have put comprehensive surveillance systems in place across the nation.
“We have been conducting contact tracing diligently and isolating those contacts of the index imported case in this country. We will continue to do that, and we want to reassure Nigerians that the federal government, alongside its technical partners, the World Health Organisation, the Africa Centre for Disease Control, and our own Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, have activated the incident management system across the various pillars,” Pate said.
“They are working day and night diligently, and hospital capabilities are also activated, such that we can aim to contain this case, as has been the case in other countries, but we will not relent. Our population should respect public health directives,” he added.
Pate expressed confidence in the country’s readiness, noting that most states possess adequate response plans and resources.
“Most of our states have adequate response plans. We have the resources, and we’re mobilising those capabilities.
And we’re also confident that if we continue on this path, we should be able to dent this outbreak,” he stated.
He further cautioned members of the public against spreading fake news or unverified information regarding the virus.
“The key also for the population is to avoid spreading misinformation or baseless rumours, which can cause unnecessary panic. The Task Force leadership has met. WHO and AfricaCDC are working closely with the team,” Pate advised.
“In addition to our exceptional public health physicians who had successfully tamed this virus in 2014, and had contributed to other countries, we are confident that if we continue in this direction, we will emerge out of this crisis in a much stronger place,” he assured.
The high-level meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap; Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Bunmi Kuku; General Manager (FAAN), Adamu Adamu; WHO Representative, Pavel Ursu; and Special Regional Representative to the Director General, Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Aliko Ahmed.
Other participants included the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Operations and Secretary of the Task Force, Oyinade Nathan-Marsh; Public Health Executive, Niniola Williams; Mandate Secretary for Health and Environment, FCT, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe; and Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (State House Medical Centre), Dr. Victoria Ogala.
Joining the session virtually via Zoom were the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olajumoke Oduwole;
Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Professor Akin Abayomi; and Director of Operations, Licensing and Training Standards (DOLTS), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Donald Spiff.
