Nigeria must not allow complacency to undermine its efforts to contain the newly imported Ebola virus disease (EVD), particularly at a time when conflicting reports and fresh alerts from parts of the country are generating public anxiety.
Just a week ago, the Regional Director for Africa, World Health Organisation (WHO), Mohamed Janabi, announced on his X handle that Nigeria had no active Ebola cases following the medical evacuation of the infected patient and her husband to Switzerland.
Janabi stated that the patient was clinically stable after receiving treatment from Nigerian medical personnel, while Switzerland had assumed responsibility for her continued medical management and the monitoring of her husband, who was identified as contact number 53.
The announcement was understandably encouraging, particularly given Nigeria’s painful experience with the disease in 2014.
However, it should not be interpreted as an indication that the country can relax its preventive measures or declare victory prematurely.
Indeed, subsequent developments have reinforced the need for caution. On Saturday, October 31, 2026, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) announced that two suspected Ebola cases had been identified in Nigeria’s North-East, prompting concerns about possible wider transmission.
Although initial reports did not immediately identify the state involved, subsequent clarification by the NCDC established that the suspected cases were reported in Yola, Adamawa State.
Fortunately, the NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, subsequently confirmed that both individuals tested negative for Ebola after two rounds of laboratory testing.
He also reassured Nigerians that the previously confirmed case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) remained the country’s only laboratory-confirmed infection.
There have also been reports and speculation associating the latest Ebola alert with Borno State. Such claims must be treated cautiously until officially verified. Public health communication must be based on confirmed information rather than assumptions, geographical confusion or sensational headlines.
Nevertheless, the Adamawa incident demonstrates that the country’s surveillance system must remain alert.
The fact that the suspected cases tested negative should be welcomed as evidence that the response mechanism is functioning, not as a reason to abandon heightened surveillance.
Another important consideration is the position of the WHO regarding the period required before Nigeria can be declared Ebola-free.
The Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, has explained that Nigeria must complete a 42-day monitoring period, comprising the 21-day monitoring of identified contacts followed by another 21-day period, in line with established protocols.
This requirement underscores why the evacuation of the confirmed patient does not automatically end the country’s public health responsibilities. Every identified contact must be accounted for, monitored and properly assessed before the country can confidently declare the outbreak contained.
We must also commend the Federal Government for taking early steps to strengthen national preparedness, especially President Bola Tinubu who approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats and authorised the immediate release of N10 billion for emergency preparedness.
The intervention was designed to strengthen the operational capacity of the NCDC and support critical public health emergency activities. The Presidential Task Force, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, was also mandated to coordinate relevant ministries, departments and agencies, as well as state governments.
This was a commendable decision, particularly because the Ebola threat was already emerging in other African countries before Nigeria confirmed its imported case on October 20.
However, approval of N10 billion is only one part of the solution. Nigerians deserve to know how much of the approved intervention has been released, how the money is being deployed and what measurable improvements have been achieved. Emergency funding must translate into functional isolation centres, adequately equipped laboratories, protective equipment for frontline workers, effective surveillance and rapid-response capacity.
Government must ensure that the NCDC, state ministries of health, port health authorities and emergency response agencies have the resources required to perform their responsibilities. Particular attention should be given to states sharing international borders and those with busy airports, seaports and major transport corridors.
Equally important is the need to strengthen infection prevention and control in public and private hospitals. Healthcare workers must receive adequate training and personal protective equipment, while hospitals must establish clear procedures for identifying, isolating and reporting suspected cases.
Nigeria must replicate and improve on that experience. Airport screening should be sustained, but it must go beyond temperature checks. Proper travel history assessment, health declarations, surveillance and effective referral systems are equally important. Border communities must also receive adequate attention to prevent undetected transmission.
Public enlightenment is another critical weapon. Nigerians should be educated on the symptoms of Ebola, including fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. The disease spreads through direct contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of infected symptomatic persons, as well as contaminated materials.
Anyone who develops suspicious symptoms, particularly after a relevant exposure, should seek immediate medical attention and disclose their travel and contact history.
Citizens must avoid self-medication, unsafe handling of sick persons and dead bodies, and the sharing of unverified information.
Ultimately, Nigeria’s Ebola battle must not be reduced to reassuring press statements or emergency meetings. It requires visible commitment, accountability and sustained investment in the country’s healthcare system.
We have defeated Ebola before, and we can do so again. But victory will depend not on wishful thinking, but on preparedness, vigilance, transparency and collective responsibility. Nigeria must not wait for another confirmed case before doing what is necessary to protect its citizens.
