The Federal Government has ordered strict enforcement of Ebola screening and entry protocols at Nigeria’s designated points of entry after the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) flagged reported breaches.
Health authorities have continued investigating the source of the country’s first confirmed case in more than a decade.
The directive, contained in a circular dated October 22, 2026, and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollum, on behalf of the Coordinating Minister, Prof Ali Pate, requires relevant ministries, departments and agencies, health institutions and other stakeholders to comply with approved screening, health declaration and surveillance measures.
The Ministry said the directive followed concerns raised by ONSA over reported non-compliance with the protocols, warning that consistent and non-discriminatory enforcement was necessary to prevent cross-border transmission and protect public health and national security.
It directed agencies to improve coordination and information-sharing, promptly document and report actual or attempted breaches, support enforcement personnel and establish monitoring and accountability mechanisms.
Meanwhile, governments of Edo, and Ebonyi states have unveiled action plans on Ebola.
In Edo State, a Committee on Ebola Emergency Preparedness and Response was set up by the state government.
The committee, to be headed by Deputy Governor, Hon Dennis Idahosa, would coordinate the state’s preparedness and response to any Ebola threat.
The Ebonyi government has also designated an isolation and treatment centre for suspected Ebola cases as part of measures to strengthen the state’s preparedness and response to the outbreak in the country.
A statement by Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Patrick Ebojele, said members of the committee would be drawn from security agencies, the State Ministries of Health, Environment, Livestock, Local Government, Finance, and Information and Communication; the Edo assembly House Committee on Health; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health; the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA); the Department of Port Health; and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
From security agencies are members from the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Police Force and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
From Health institutions are the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Edo State University Teaching Hospital (EDSUTH), Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Edo Specialist Hospital, Central Hospital, Benin, and Stella Obasanjo Hospital.
Professional bodies are also members including the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and the Association of Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, Edo State chapter.
Other members are a traditional ruler, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) leader, the Chief Imam and a market women’s leader.
Development partners and agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Nigeria Red Cross Society, DataFi, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency are also committee members.
The statement said the committee would work through the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC), which has pillars for coordination, epidemiology, surveillance, infection prevention and control, risk communication, logistics, laboratory, case management, and safe and dignified burial.
It said a stakeholders’ meeting on Ebola emergency preparedness and response would hold soon for the committee.
On its part, Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Moses Ekuma,
said that the state Ministry of Health had strengthened its preparedness and response mechanisms to ensure prompt and effective action in the event of a suspected case.
‘We have identified a designated isolation and treatment centre for suspected Ebola patients, should the need arise.
‘Health workers across the state have also been sensitised on infection prevention and control, as well as the early identification of suspected cases, to minimise the risk of transmission,’ he said.
He said personal protective equipment had been distributed to health workers in hospitals across the state to protect them, while providing care.
Ekuma added that the ministry had intensified public awareness campaigns to educate residents on Ebola, its mode of transmission and preventive measures.
He urged health workers to strictly adhere to infection prevention and control protocols, including the proper use of protective equipment, to safeguard themselves and their patients.
He advised residents to wash their hands regularly with soap and water, avoid direct contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of suspected or confirmed Ebola patients.
The commissioner also urged residents to seek prompt medical attention if they developed symptoms suggestive of the disease.
He cautioned against handling dead wild animals or consuming bushmeat from potentially infected animals, stressing the importance of proper hygiene and compliance with public health advisories.