The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has officially placed 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on a “High-Risk Importation” watch list following a fresh dynamic risk assessment.
The emergency move, detailed in a public health advisory issued by NCDC Director-General Dr. Jide Idris, is a direct response to a worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, which has already logged 1,077 suspected cases and 247 deaths.
While health authorities heavily stress that Nigeria has recorded zero confirmed or suspected cases of the virus, the country’s massive international travel footprint, active regional trade, and porous land borders have elevated the threat of cross-border transmission.
The Watch List Breakdown
The NCDC has categorized states based on their vulnerability, focusing heavily on major transit hubs, international airports, seaports, and active border entry corridors:
- High-Risk Hubs: Lagos, Abuja (FCT), Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, and Adamawa.
- Moderate-Risk States: Ogun, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Kogi, Niger, Jigawa, Katsina, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Abia, and Bayelsa.
To intercept potential cases before they hit local communities, the federal government has fully institutionalized round-the-clock thermal screenings and heightened epidemic intelligence across major Points of Entry (PoEs). The National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has been placed on alert mode, activating nationwide rapid response teams and prepositioning personal protective equipment (PPE) across the public health laboratory network.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has also weighed in on the threat, holding brief strategic consultations with health officials before departing Lagos for Abuja. The President urged absolute vigilance at both state and national levels, emphasizing the urgency of sustaining robust disease surveillance to prevent a biological shock.
State health commissioners have been given a strict 72-hour deadline to submit comprehensive readiness reports, map out local isolation and treatment centers, and verify the screening capacity of health facilities within their jurisdictions.
“The risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria is high because of international travel, regional population movement, porous borders, and extensive trade networks. Because early symptoms mirror malaria, rapid detection, isolation, and immediate reporting are critical.” — Dr. Jide Idris, Director-General, NCDC
Health authorities are reminding the public that Ebola is not airborne and spreads strictly through direct contact with infected blood, body fluids, or contaminated surfaces. Travelers arriving from East and Central Africa are being advised to monitor their health for 21 days and immediately report any sudden onset of fever, vomiting, or unexplained bleeding.
