The Federal Government has intensified monitoring and screening procedures at all entry points in response to the fresh outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Director of Port Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Akpan Nse, disclosed this on Friday, noting that additional personnel had been deployed to strengthen border surveillance.
Health authorities in the DRC recently declared an outbreak in Kasai Province, where 28 suspected cases and 16 deaths, including four health workers, were recorded as of September 5, 2025. This comes amid overlapping crises in Central and West Africa, including cholera, malnutrition, and population displacement.
Nigeria’s Port Health Services has reactivated its surveillance system, ensuring all inbound travellers from Congo are screened, including those transiting through the country. “Every traveller from Congo undergoes thorough checks at airports, seaports, and land borders, with mandatory health forms collected,” Dr Nse explained. He added that with WHO support, more staff had been recruited to enhance screening capacity.
Private organisations are also working with the government to maintain the functionality of thermal scanners at airports. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has released $500,000 from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support the DRC response. WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that vaccines, equipment, and response teams were already on ground.
Experts in Nigeria have urged vigilance. Dr Oladipo Kolawole of Adeleke University called for strict coordination among agencies to avoid importation of the virus, while virologist Dr Moses Adewumi of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, stressed the need for stronger surveillance at airports and land borders.
“The lesson is vigilance,” said Dr Iorhen Akase of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, who emphasised that Ebola transmission risk is highest when a patient is symptomatic. He urged communities to report suspicious illnesses quickly.
Nigeria last faced Ebola in 2014, when swift containment prevented widespread transmission. Experts now stress that preparedness, early detection, and community collaboration are key to keeping the virus out of the country.
