President Bola Tinubu has set up an Ebola task force and approved N10 billion for emergency response, the Presidency announced Tuesday.
The fund will help the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention strengthen readiness and carry out urgent public health work nationwide, said Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila will chair the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats. Members will come from federal agencies and state governments.
The move follows new Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, which raised fears of spread to Nigeria.
Tinubu approved the plan after a stakeholder review led by Gbajabiamila. The meeting included the Ministry of Interior, FAAN, Nigeria Immigration Service, NCAA, Lagos State Government, and others.
All states with international airports and border points must now submit response plans and budgets for joint action.
Airports will tighten passenger checks with stricter temperature screening and crowd control. Flights from Air Uganda, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, TAAG Angola Airlines, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines will face closer monitoring.
Isolation centres are already active at Lagos and Abuja airports, with more to open soon. Travelers from high-risk countries must fill a QR code health form before arrival. Airports will also disinfect departure halls, cargo areas and baggage zones.
The task force will work with security and aviation leaders to manage flights from affected nations. It will assign special terminals for high-risk flights and may adjust schedules to limit contact between passengers.
The Presidency said the steps will block Ebola from entering Nigeria and improve the country’s response to health threats.