President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved ₦10 billion in emergency funding to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness against Ebola and other emerging public health threats, with his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, appointed to lead a presidential task force coordinating the response.
The Presidency announced the approval and establishment of the task force on June 9, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s capacity to detect, prevent and respond to potential outbreaks.
The funding was intended to reinforce the operational preparedness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical national public health emergency activities.
The initiative has assumed renewed importance following the confirmation of an Ebola case in Abuja in October, prompting heightened surveillance, contact tracing and renewed attention to Nigeria’s readiness to contain the disease.
The Presidential Task Force, chaired by Gbajabiamila, brings together relevant government ministries, departments and agencies, alongside other stakeholders involved in public health preparedness and emergency management.
Among the measures outlined when the task force was established were enhanced screening of international passengers, improved temperature checks, strengthened surveillance at airports and the activation of referral and isolation facilities at the international airports in Lagos and Abuja.
The government also outlined plans for pre-arrival health declarations for passengers travelling from or transiting through designated high-risk countries, alongside additional precautions at airport facilities.
Following confirmation of the recent case, the task force said it had been working with health authorities and other agencies to strengthen surveillance and response arrangements. Officials have also reported contact-tracing efforts involving 44 people connected to the case.
However, questions have emerged over the status and utilisation of the ₦10 billion intervention. On October 22, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council said the funds remained untouched, while agencies involved in surveillance had used other available resources. The council did not provide financial records to establish the status of the money.
The dispute has prompted calls for greater transparency over the release, management and use of the emergency allocation, particularly following the confirmation of the infection.
The funding was announced to improve preparedness, but its effectiveness will depend on the availability of operational resources, the coordination of relevant agencies and the ability of health authorities to detect and contain infections promptly.
Public health experts and authorities have repeatedly stressed the importance of early detection, contact tracing, infection prevention and clear communication in limiting the spread of Ebola.
As Nigeria strengthens its response, the management of the emergency allocation is likely to remain under scrutiny, with accountability and preparedness both central to public confidence in the country’s ability to contain the outbreak.