Nigeria Intensifies Ebola Surveillance After Confirming Case in FCT
The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and launched contact tracing to monitor 44 people identified as having had close contact with the infected patient.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the development in a statement issued on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the infection.
According to the statement, the patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda. She was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed.
“A woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed,” the statement noted.
The woman is currently in isolation and receiving medical care as authorities work to prevent further transmission.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are coordinating containment efforts alongside other relevant agencies.
Public health teams have begun tracing the 44 identified contacts and are working to locate additional people who may have been exposed to the virus. These include healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and individuals who may have come into contact with the patient during her travels.
Surveillance has also been intensified, while the hospital where the woman received treatment is being supported to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The government has directed public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain on high alert. Healthcare workers have been instructed to maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, adhere to strict infection prevention protocols and immediately report potential infections to public health authorities.
Pate urged Nigerians to remain calm while observing recommended preventive measures, including regular hand washing and avoiding contact with the blood or other body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola.
Symptoms to watch for include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly among people who may have been exposed to the virus.
“Anyone who develops symptoms should avoid close contact with others and call public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility,” the statement advised.
The government also appealed to individuals contacted by public health teams during the tracing exercise, including potentially exposed airline passengers, to provide the necessary information and comply with official guidance.
The confirmation comes amid growing regional concerns over Ebola transmission. In an advisory issued on October 6, the NCDC warned of the risk of importing the infection following a confirmed case in Kenya linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of infected people, as well as contaminated objects and surfaces. Infected individuals do not transmit the virus before symptoms develop, while the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Nigeria previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller introduced the disease into the country. The response involved rapid identification and isolation of cases, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.
Reassuring Nigerians, Pate said the country had the experience and public health infrastructure needed to respond to the current case. However, he stressed that preventing further transmission would depend partly on public cooperation.
The Federal Government said investigations were ongoing and that the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease, alongside the NCDC, would continue to provide updates on the situation.
Members of the public seeking information or wishing to report a suspected case can contact NCDC’s toll-free call centre on 6232, available at all times, daily.
