NEWS
President Tinubu Approves ₦10 Billion Emergency Fund, Establishes Presidential Task Force as Ebola Threat Looms
President Bola Ahmed 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 ₦10 billion in emergency intervention funding aimed at safeguarding Nigeria against a potential outbreak.
The emergency fund is expected to bolster the operational readiness of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical public health emergency response activities across the country as concerns mount over the resurgence of Ebola in parts of Africa.
The development comes amid reports of fresh Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, prompting the Federal Government to intensify preventive measures to avert the possible importation of the deadly virus into Nigeria.
According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the newly established Presidential Task Force will be chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. Its membership will comprise representatives from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as state government representatives.
The President’s approval followed a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened under the leadership of the Chief of Staff to assess Nigeria’s preparedness status and formulate strategies to prevent the entry and spread of Ebola within the country.
The meeting brought together key stakeholders from the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Lagos State Government, and other critical institutions involved in border security, aviation, and public health management.
As part of efforts to strengthen the nation’s preparedness architecture, President Tinubu directed all states hosting international airports and international border corridors, alongside relevant MDAs, to immediately submit detailed preparedness plans, funding requirements, and intervention needs for coordinated implementation by the Federal Government.
The Presidential Task Force has also been mandated to roll out a series of stringent preventive measures across the country’s air and border entry points.
These measures include the intensification of passenger screening at all international airports, enhanced temperature checks, stricter crowd-control protocols, and increased monitoring of travellers arriving through identified high-risk airline routes, including Air Uganda, Rwanda Air, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines.
In addition, the Federal Government has ordered the immediate activation of referral and isolation centres at the international airports in Lagos and Abuja, with plans to extend similar facilities to other airports nationwide.
Authorities will also implement mandatory QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers arriving from or transiting through designated high-risk countries. Furthermore, airport departure halls, cargo facilities, baggage handling areas, and other airport infrastructure will undergo regular disinfection as part of precautionary environmental health measures.
President Tinubu further directed the advisory group to engage security agencies, diplomatic missions, and aviation authorities to develop appropriate regulations governing flights originating from affected and designated high-risk countries.
The Task Force is also expected to designate specific airports or terminals for handling high-risk flights to ensure controlled screening, surveillance, and isolation procedures. It will additionally explore adjustments to flight schedules to reduce interaction between high-risk passengers and the general travelling public.
The latest intervention underscores the Federal Government’s determination to prevent a repeat of the public health challenges posed by previous Ebola outbreaks and to ensure that Nigeria remains adequately prepared to respond swiftly to emerging infectious disease threats.
With the release of substantial emergency funding and the activation of a multi-agency response structure, the Tinubu administration is positioning the country to strengthen surveillance, border control, emergency response systems, and public health resilience against one of the world’s most deadly viral diseases.