The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), has placed the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and nine states on high Ebola preparedness alert following a fresh outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo strain of Ebola Virus Disease in parts of East and Central Africa.
According to the NCDC, Nigeria currently faces a “high risk” of importing the virus because of increasing regional transmission, international travel, porous borders, and population movement linked to outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
States listed as high-risk include Lagos, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, and Adamawa, alongside the FCT.
The NCDC explained that the affected states were identified because of factors such as international airports, seaports, border routes, and heavy human traffic that could increase the risk of Ebola importation.
Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, said Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case linked to the current outbreak but warned that preparedness measures must be intensified immediately.
The agency also disclosed that emergency response systems, surveillance networks, laboratories, and rapid response teams across the country have been activated to strengthen national readiness.
Health authorities noted that the current Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, making early detection, isolation, contact tracing, and strict infection prevention measures critical.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern due to fears of rapid spread.
Officials urged Nigerians to remain calm but vigilant, maintain proper hygiene practices, and promptly report suspected symptoms such as fever, bleeding, vomiting, or unexplained weakness to health authorities.
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