Federal Government steps up outbreak preparedness, assesses isolation facilities and introduces ₦100,000 weekly support for people under quarantine
Nigeria’s Federal Government is strengthening its preparedness for a possible spread of Ebola virus disease, with plans to identify and equip treatment centres in states with designated ports of entry as the number of identified contacts linked to the country’s confirmed case rises to 53.
The measures include assessing isolation and treatment capacity at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), evaluating infection prevention and control readiness at Karu General Hospital in Abuja, and establishing referral mechanisms for suspected cases outside the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The government is also strengthening surveillance at international ports of entry, expanding laboratory capacity and improving the readiness of healthcare facilities to manage potential infections.
According to an Ebola situation report obtained on Sunday, the measures form part of a coordinated national response aimed at ensuring that suspected cases can be detected, isolated, tested and referred promptly.
Nigeria expands Ebola treatment and isolation capacity
The situation report stated that a needs assessment and optimisation exercise had been completed at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital to determine its readiness to serve as an isolation and treatment centre.
An infection prevention and control (IPC) assessment was also planned for Karu General Hospital to establish its capacity to accommodate a possible increase in isolation requirements.
The report listed the identification and optimisation of treatment centres in states with designated ports of entry as a priority, alongside the establishment of referral arrangements for transferring suspected cases from the point of detection to appropriate treatment facilities.
The measures are intended to strengthen Nigeria’s ability to respond to potential infections detected at international entry points and ensure that patients can access appropriate care without unnecessary delays.
The government is also working to strengthen infection prevention and control procedures in healthcare facilities to reduce the risk of transmission among health workers, patients and other people who may come into contact with suspected cases.
NCDC approves ₦100,000 weekly support for contacts
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved an emergency payment of ₦100,000 per person per week to support people placed under isolation or quarantine following complaints about the financial burden of complying with public health monitoring requirements.
NCDC Director-General Jide Idris disclosed the intervention during a press briefing on Sunday, explaining that the payment would help cover essential living expenses, including feeding and the cost of supporting family members.
“We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding. Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families,” Idris said.
He added: “We are providing ₦100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding, because they were complaining.”
According to Idris, the payment was not included in the original outbreak response plan but became necessary because of the circumstances surrounding the emergency.
“This was not planned for, but it is an emergency. We will continue to review it as we go along,” he said.
The intervention is intended to ease the financial pressure on people required to comply with monitoring and isolation arrangements, particularly those whose normal work and business activities may be disrupted.
Idris also stressed that responsibility for supporting contacts and financing emergency response measures should not rest solely with the FCT.
“This is not the responsibility of the FCT alone. What we have to do for the FCT, we have to do for any other state, just in case,” he said.
He urged state governments to make adequate financial and logistical provisions for contact tracing, isolation, surveillance and other emergency response activities.
Contact tracing expands as 53 people are identified
The NCDC situation report stated that 53 contacts linked to the confirmed Ebola case had been identified, listed and categorised, with contact tracing and monitoring continuing.
The figure represents an increase from the initial 44 contacts announced after the case was reported in the FCT.
Idris said 44 of the 53 primary contacts were associated with the health facility where the patient received treatment. The remaining nine included household members and people who attended to her during an earlier visit to an emergency room.
The investigation has therefore expanded beyond the facility where the infection was confirmed, as health officials seek to determine whether other people may have been exposed before the patient was isolated.
The NCDC is also identifying secondary contacts to establish whether any of the people already identified subsequently exposed others.
“For each person, we are going to ask questions. We have to establish who they have been in contact with. If we can identify those people, they will also be monitored,” Idris said.
The agency said contacts would be monitored daily and that anyone who developed symptoms would be assessed promptly.
Idris disclosed that one contact who reported feeling unwell had tested negative, although surveillance and follow-up activities were continuing.
The NCDC has also reviewed its case definition for Ebola disease to guide healthcare workers, surveillance teams and other stakeholders in identifying suspected infections.
Under the revised criteria, suspected cases may include people who develop sudden fever and specified symptoms alongside relevant travel or epidemiological links, people with unexplained bleeding, and those who develop symptoms after contact with a confirmed or probable case.
The agency urged community members to report unexplained deaths and symptoms suggestive of Ebola, particularly where there is a history of possible exposure.
Laboratory testing and genomic sequencing completed
The situation report disclosed that genomic sequencing of the confirmed case had been completed by the NCDC National Reference Laboratory and the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases.
The next steps include sharing the sequencing report, continuing diagnostic testing and maintaining laboratory records.
The NCDC also plans to distribute additional laboratory reagents and supplies across the national laboratory network to support testing for Ebola virus disease.
Laboratory capacity remains critical to the response because suspected infections must be investigated promptly and confirmed through appropriate testing to guide case management and public health decisions.
The government is also strengthening infection prevention and control procedures across healthcare facilities. According to the report, assessments have been conducted in states and health facilities, while the facility managing the patient has received guidance on appropriate procedures and standard operating practices.
The next phase includes implementing an infection prevention and control ring strategy across designated areas to strengthen screening and isolation measures.
Nigeria boosts emergency supplies and healthcare training
The NCDC is stepping up training and sensitisation for healthcare personnel, particularly in facilities that may be required to identify, stabilise or refer suspected Ebola cases.
Idris acknowledged the need to strengthen infection prevention and control expertise at the state and local government levels, noting that subnational healthcare facilities require improved capacity to respond effectively to infectious disease emergencies.
“When our infection prevention and control teams visit a facility, they assess the systems in place and identify areas that need to be corrected,” he said.
He added that the agency was continuing to train healthcare personnel to improve their competence in infection prevention and control.
“Capabilities and competencies at the subnational level are not as high as they should be. We are responsible for building those capabilities. That is why training is one of our most important priorities,” Idris said.
The situation report also stated that Nigeria’s national stockpile of personal protective equipment and other essential supplies had been increased in preparation for a possible expansion of the response.
It added that 500 donated laboratory testing kits had been incorporated into the stockpile, while additional protective equipment and essential commodities would be positioned in high-risk states.
These measures are designed to ensure that healthcare facilities have the equipment and supplies required to protect medical personnel, investigate suspected infections and manage patients safely.
Surveillance strengthened at airports and other entry points
The Federal Government is also intensifying surveillance at airports and other designated ports of entry to improve the early detection of suspected infections.
According to the situation report, Port Health Services had conducted an in-depth investigation in collaboration with aviation stakeholders, while enhanced surveillance across all ports of entry would continue.
The next phase of the response includes strengthening preparedness in high-risk states, identifying treatment facilities outside the FCT and establishing referral mechanisms for suspected cases.
The government is also sustaining public communication and community engagement to address concerns and counter misinformation about the outbreak.
The NCDC said it had issued public advisories on preventive measures and conducted social listening to identify emerging misinformation. It plans to continue proactive communication and engagement across multiple platforms.
The agency urged Nigerians to rely on official information, avoid spreading rumours and cooperate with public health officials conducting contact tracing.
Confirmed case linked to international travel
The confirmed case involves a woman who travelled to Nigeria after visiting Uganda, following a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
According to information previously provided by health authorities, she developed symptoms on October 7, sought medical attention in Abuja on October 11 and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus on October 20.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said investigations are continuing to establish the likely source of the infection.
The identification of the Bundibugyo strain underscores the importance of regional surveillance, timely laboratory diagnosis and coordination among countries responding to Ebola.
The situation report said Nigeria’s national incident management system had been activated under the coordination of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
An Incident Action Plan has also been finalised to guide coordination among government agencies, healthcare facilities and response partners. Implementation of priority activities is continuing across coordination, surveillance, laboratory services, case management, infection prevention and control, logistics, risk communication and port health.
Lessons from Nigeria’s 2014 Ebola response
Nigeria has previous experience containing Ebola. During the 2014 outbreak, the country interrupted transmission through rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.
The current response is drawing on those lessons, with authorities working to improve isolation readiness, strengthen laboratory services and ensure that states have the facilities and resources required if additional cases are identified.
The WHO has consistently emphasised the importance of early detection, isolation, contact tracing and infection prevention and control in containing Ebola outbreaks.
The NCDC has urged Nigerians to remain calm while observing preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding direct contact with the blood and other body fluids of people suspected of having Ebola.
The agency stressed that Ebola can spread through direct contact with the blood, body fluids or tissues of infected people or animals, as well as through contaminated materials.
It also warned against stigmatising people placed under monitoring, stressing that cooperation with public health authorities is essential to preventing further transmission.
With 53 contacts identified and monitoring ongoing, the effectiveness of Nigeria’s response will depend on sustained surveillance, adequate state-level preparedness, prompt diagnosis and the ability to isolate and manage sus