Tinubu Approves ₦10 Billion For Ebola Response, Appoints Gbajabiamila As Task Force Chairman
By our Reporter
President Bola Tinubu has approved ₦10 billion in emergency funding to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for Ebola and other emerging health threats, appointing his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to lead a presidential task force on the response.
According to a State House statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on June 9, the fund will boost the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’s (NCDC) operational capacity and improve the country’s ability to detect and contain potential outbreaks.
“The fund will strengthen the operational preparedness of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical national public health emergency response activities,” the statement said.
The intervention follows concerns over Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, prompting the Federal Government to intensify measures to prevent the disease from entering Nigeria.
Following a high-level meeting chaired by Gbajabiamila, Tinubu directed states with international airports and border corridors, alongside relevant government agencies, to submit detailed response plans, budgets and operational requirements.
Isolation and referral centres at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja are to be activated immediately, with similar arrangements planned for other airports.
The measures also include a QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration system for passengers travelling from or transiting through designated high-risk countries. Airport facilities, including departure halls, cargo areas and baggage-handling sections, are to be disinfected.
“The Task Force is further directed to designate specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to enable controlled screening and isolation procedures,” the statement added.
