The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of importing the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) following ongoing outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
Although no confirmed Ebola case has been recorded in Nigeria, the agency said increased international travel, cross-border movement, and rising regional transmission have heightened concerns over possible importation of the disease.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, disclosed that the agency’s latest assessment classified the threat level as high.
According to the statement, the assessment considered factors such as ongoing transmission in affected countries, uncertainty over the full scale of the outbreak, and the possibility of delayed diagnosis due to symptom similarities with endemic diseases like malaria and Lassa fever.
The NCDC said several Nigerian states have already been identified as vulnerable because of their proximity to international borders, transport corridors, and major entry points.
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The agency noted that response efforts remain ongoing in affected countries, including surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing, infection prevention measures, and public awareness campaigns.
As part of Nigeria’s preparedness strategy, the NCDC said the national Emergency Operations Centre has been placed on alert mode, while the country’s incident management system has also been activated to strengthen coordination and outbreak response.
The agency stated that Nigeria retains critical structures and expertise developed from previous Ebola and viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks, including trained rapid response teams, functional emergency operations centres, and laboratory capabilities.
According to the NCDC, epidemiologists and rapid response teams have been placed on standby for immediate deployment if necessary, while laboratories near international entry points are prepared for rapid testing and diagnosis.
The agency also disclosed that public awareness campaigns have been intensified to counter misinformation and false claims surrounding Ebola, adding that educational materials addressing myths and facts about the disease have been distributed nationwide.
Residents were urged to remain calm, adhere to public health advisories, and report any suspected symptoms to health authorities promptly.
