The Federal Government is weighing fresh travel measures, including possible flight restrictions from countries battling Ebola outbreaks, as authorities move to prevent the virus from entering Nigeria.
The countries under consideration include Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and South Sudan, where health officials are currently monitoring reported Ebola cases.
The development was revealed on Thursday after a high-level emergency preparedness meeting held in Victoria Island, Lagos. The meeting was led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside senior health and security officials.
Top government officials present included the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Jide Idris, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi.
Speaking after the meeting, Gbajabiamila said Nigeria was taking early action to avoid a repeat of the deadly Ebola scare that shook the country years ago.
“We have a health scare, which is Ebola, and we all know what happened the last time,” he said.
“The cases are getting worse internationally, and we don’t want to leave anything to chance.”
According to him, officials discussed restricting flights from affected countries and isolating passengers showing possible Ebola symptoms at airports and other entry points.
He explained that authorities are also considering using cargo terminals for passengers arriving from high-risk locations as part of tighter screening procedures.
“We looked at the possibilities of isolating passengers who may exhibit symptoms of Ebola,” Gbajabiamila stated.
“We believe prevention is better than cure, and where some passengers slip through the cracks, then we must have ways of dealing with situations such as that.”
The Chief of Staff also disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had been briefed on the Ebola situation in Uganda and the DRC.
He said the Federal Government remains focused on strengthening surveillance systems, emergency response structures, and coordination among agencies to keep the country safe.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Tunji-Ojo said all border points across Nigeria would face stricter monitoring in the coming weeks.
He noted that the Nigeria Immigration Service would work closely with the NCDC to improve early detection and emergency response efforts.
Health authorities also raised concerns about the dangers linked to the virus.
Dr. Jide Idris warned that Ebola remains one of the deadliest viral diseases globally and stressed that public health measures remain the strongest line of defence.
“This particular virus has no treatment, no vaccines,” Idris said.
“So it’s the public health measures that need to be done — isolation, quick detection, public enlightenment, infection prevention, and control.”
He added that preparedness plans have already been activated across Nigeria’s 36 states, including all ports of entry.
The NCDC boss further revealed that awareness campaigns would be intensified, especially among healthcare workers considered most vulnerable during outbreaks.
“We’re going to increase our communication again, and we’re talking to healthcare workers because they are vulnerable,” he added.
The renewed alert comes as memories of Nigeria’s 2014 Ebola outbreak still linger, when aggressive contact tracing and emergency response efforts helped contain the virus before it spread widely across the country.
