The Federal Government is considering restrictions on inbound flights from Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan as part of intensified efforts to prevent a possible Ebola outbreak in Nigeria.
The proposed measures emerged after a high-level emergency meeting held Thursday in Lagos to assess the country’s readiness and strengthen its response strategy amid renewed concerns over the spread of the virus in parts of Africa.
Officials at the meeting also discussed tighter border surveillance, stricter health screening procedures, and possible isolation protocols for travellers arriving from countries currently battling Ebola outbreaks.
Among those in attendance were the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Jide Idris; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; and Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi.
Speaking after the meeting, Gbajabiamila said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been fully briefed on the health situation in the affected countries and directed that all necessary preventive steps be taken to protect Nigerians.
He noted that authorities were determined to avoid a repeat of previous Ebola outbreaks, stressing that the global health situation was becoming increasingly concerning.
According to him, discussions centred on measures such as limiting flights from high-risk nations, isolating passengers showing symptoms at airports, and tightening monitoring systems at the country’s entry points.
Tunji-Ojo also disclosed that immigration and health authorities would work closely to enforce strict surveillance across all borders and improve rapid detection mechanisms.
Meanwhile, the NCDC said emergency preparedness plans had already been activated nationwide, with public sensitisation campaigns ongoing across the 36 states to educate citizens on prevention and response measures related to Ebola Virus Disease.
