The Federal Government has assured Nigerians of its readiness to contain the Ebola outbreak, saying relevant health authorities and emergency response agencies have activated measures to prevent further spread of the virus.
The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Virus Disease Preparedness, and Emerging Public Health Threats, and Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, gave the assurance on Wednesday after an emergency meeting of the task force at the State House, Abuja.
Gbajabiamila said the task force had been working behind the scenes since its inauguration in June, adding that the existing surveillance systems and established protocols enabled the early detection of the index case reported on Tuesday.
He explained that Nigeria had recorded approximately 44,000 flights into and out of the country since concerns about Ebola emerged in June, stressing that the preparedness measures implemented by the Ministry of Health, the task force and other relevant agencies had played a crucial role in identifying the case.
According to him, the infected passenger initially showed no symptoms, which developed four days after the woman arrived in Abuja.
He said the identification process and established protocols facilitated the prompt detection of the infection, demonstrating the country's capacity to respond to the public health threat.
Gbajabiamila assured Nigerians that the task force would strengthen existing protocols where necessary and ensure stricter enforcement of preventive measures.
He also called for greater public cooperation, urging Nigerians to comply with health directives and avoid panic.
“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 said.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, also reassured Nigerians that the country had the necessary health personnel, surveillance systems and response mechanisms to tackle the outbreak.
Pate said public and private healthcare providers, alongside agencies responsible for immigration, aviation and internal security, had established surveillance systems across the country to support the response.
He disclosed that contact tracing was ongoing and that individuals identified as contacts of the imported index case were being isolated in line with public health protocols.
The minister added that the Federal Government, working with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), had activated the incident management system across relevant response areas.
He said health authorities and their technical partners were working round the clock to contain the case, while hospital facilities had also been activated to support the response.
Pate further noted that most states had adequate response plans and that the government was mobilising available resources and capabilities to prevent further transmission.
However, he stressed that public compliance with health directives remained essential to containing the outbreak.
The minister also urged Nigerians to refrain from spreading unverified information and baseless rumours capable of causing unnecessary panic.
He expressed confidence in the experience of Nigeria's public health professionals, recalling their role in containing Ebola in 2014 and supporting responses in other countries.
Pate said the country's experience and collaboration with international health partners would support ongoing efforts to manage the situation.
Other officials who attended the emergency meeting included the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap; Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Bunmi Kuku; FAAN General Manager, Adamu Adamu; WHO Representative, Pavel Ursu; and Africa CDC Special Regional Representative to the Director-General, Dr Aliko Ahmed.
Also present were 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 in the Federal Capital Territory, Dr Dolapo Fasawe; and Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee at the State House Medical Centre, Dr Victoria Ogala.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olajumoke Oduwole; Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi; and Director of Operations, Licensing and Training Standards at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Donald Spiff, participated in the meeting virtually.