Ebola: President Tinubu Approves N10B For Emergency Preparedness
Written by News Desk on June 9, 2026
As part of efforts to safeguard Nigeria against a possible outbreak of Ebola virus and other health related outbreaks, President Bola Tinubu has approved the creation of a Presidential Task Force to contain the spread of the disease.
The President also authorised the immediate release of N10 billion to boost the country’s readiness and response capacity.
The emergency funding is expected to strengthen the operations of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical public health interventions aimed at preventing and containing infectious disease threats.
According to the directive, the newly established Task Force will be chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will comprise representatives from key Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as state governments.
The move follows renewed concerns over the resurgence of Ebola cases in neighbouring African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, raising fears of possible cross-border transmission into Nigeria.
President Tinubu’s approval came after a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Chief of Staff to assess Nigeria’s level of preparedness and develop strategies to prevent the importation of the deadly virus into the country.
Participants at the meeting included officials from the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Lagos State Government and other critical stakeholders involved in public health and border management.
As part of the emergency measures, the President directed all states with international airports and border entry points to submit detailed preparedness plans, funding needs and intervention requests for coordinated implementation.
The Task Force is also expected to intensify passenger screening, enforce enhanced temperature checks and activate isolation and referral centres at major international airports, beginning with Lagos and Abuja.
Additional directives include the introduction of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for travellers from high-risk countries, environmental disinfection of airport facilities, and stricter monitoring of flights arriving from affected regions.
The Task Force has also been mandated to work with security, diplomatic and aviation authorities to regulate flights from designated high-risk countries and designate specific terminals for controlled screening and isolation procedures where necessary.
