The federal government has launched a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness. This is part of Nigeria's efforts to keep its zero-case status and improve its ability to handle possible outbreaks.
At the inauguration on Thursday at the State House, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who chairs the task force, said there are no reported cases of Ebola in Nigeria right now.
Mr Gbajabiamila stated that the government is stepping up preventive measures to keep the country free from the disease. He also mentioned that Nigeria aims to take a leading role in epidemic preparedness and response across Africa.
"We inaugurated the committee today on Nigeria’s preparedness for the Ebola Virus Disease. We have covered a lot of ground, and there are presently no reported cases in the country, which is good news," he said.
He highlighted that Nigeria's strategy focuses on prevention, not just treatment. Lessons learned from past outbreaks, especially the 2014 Ebola outbreak, have helped improve surveillance and response systems.
Focus on prevention
Mr Gbajabiamila emphasized the need to prevent a repeat of the 2014 situation. That year, an infected traveler brought the virus to Nigeria, leading to a public health emergency.
He explained that the task force is setting up structures and subcommittees to tackle key areas of preparedness and response.
"We do not want a repeat of what happened during the last outbreak when a carrier entered the country, and everyone was scrambling to respond," he said.
He added that the government is creating lasting systems to ensure effective responses for years to come.
"We want to put in place permanent arrangements and structures so that in two or three years, if another outbreak occurs, we will not be running from pillar to post trying to establish response mechanisms," he said.
Surveillance, coordination
Mr Gbajabiamila said there is a special focus on international airports and land borders due to the high number of cross-border movements.
He noted that the federal government is working closely with states that have international airports, including Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Enugu, and the Federal Capital Territory. This is to boost monitoring and quick response measures.
He mentioned that agencies handling border management, immigration, and border communities have been included in the preparedness plan.
He explained that the task force includes committees on border management, immigration control, and disease surveillance. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) will lead the overall technical efforts and coordination.
Key stakeholders
The inauguration brought together senior government officials and public health experts. This included the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; and the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris.
Other attendees were representatives from state health ministries, the World Health Organisation (WHO), airport authorities, epidemiologists, and public health organizations.
Background
This inauguration follows President Bola Tinubu's approval to set up the Task Force and release N10 billion for emergency funds. This money will help boost Nigeria’s readiness against a possible outbreak.
As reported earlier, the fund is meant to enhance the NCDC’s operational capacity and support vital public health emergency response activities nationwide.
The Task Force, led by Mr Gbajabiamila, was established after a high-level meeting that reviewed Nigeria’s preparedness and planned strategies to prevent Ebola from entering the country.
The federal government is taking these steps due to renewed Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. This raised concerns about the risk of cross-border transmission.
Authorities have also announced plans to improve surveillance at airports and land borders, activate isolation and referral facilities, and enhance coordination among health, aviation, and security agencies.
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