President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats, alongside the immediate release of N10 billion to strengthen Nigeria’s readiness against a possible Ebola outbreak.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, following a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened to assess Nigeria’s preparedness against the disease.
The move comes amid growing concerns over rising Ebola cases in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, prompting the Federal Government to activate emergency response measures aimed at preventing the virus from entering Nigeria.
According to the statement, the emergency fund will be deployed to strengthen the operational capacity of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical public health emergency response activities nationwide.
“The fund will strengthen the operational preparedness of the NCDC and support critical national public health emergency response activities,” the statement noted.
President Tinubu’s approval followed a strategic meeting chaired by Femi Gbajabiamila, where senior government officials and health stakeholders reviewed existing preparedness plans and identified measures to mitigate the risk of an outbreak.
The newly established Presidential Task Force will be chaired by Gbajabiamila and will comprise representatives from key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as state governments.
Participants at the preparatory 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 agencies involved in border control, aviation, and disease surveillance.
The President also directed all states with international airports and major border corridors to submit detailed preparedness plans, funding requirements, and intervention needs to ensure a coordinated national response.
