Tinubu Releases ₦10 Billion Emergency Fund Amid Rising Ebola Threat

President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate release of ₦10 billion in emergency intervention funding to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness against the potential Ebola Virus Disease threat.

According to Ireporter Online, the directive was announced on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who said the funding is aimed at boosting the capacity of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and enhancing the country’s overall public health emergency response system.

The Presidency also approved the creation of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats to coordinate national response efforts.

The task force will be chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will include representatives from key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as state governments. Its mandate follows a high-level stakeholder meeting convened to assess Nigeria’s readiness and develop strategies to prevent any possible importation of Ebola into the country, especially amid recent outbreaks reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

The meeting included key institutions such as the Ministry of Interior, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Lagos State Government, and other relevant agencies.

Onanuga further disclosed that President Tinubu has directed states with international airports and border corridors, alongside relevant MDAs, to submit their preparedness plans, funding needs, and operational requirements for coordinated federal support and implementation.

As part of the response framework, the Task Force is expected to intensify passenger screening at all international airports, strengthen temperature checks and crowd-control measures, and enhance surveillance of passengers arriving via identified high-risk airline routes, including Air Uganda, Rwanda Air, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines.

Other measures include the activation of referral and isolation centres at Lagos and Abuja international airports, with similar arrangements to be extended nationwide, alongside the deployment of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for travellers from high-risk countries.

Authorities will also carry out routine disinfection of airport facilities, including departure halls, cargo zones, and baggage areas, as part of preventive environmental safety measures.

The Presidency added that consultations will continue with security, diplomatic, and aviation stakeholders to regulate flights from affected regions, designate specific terminals for high-risk arrivals, and adjust flight schedules where necessary to reduce contact between high-risk passengers and the general travelling public.