Ebola: Tinubu orders release of N10bn emergency intervention fund
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate release of N10 billion as an emergency intervention fund to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness against the Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
The President also approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday, June 09, 2026, by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
According to Onanuga, the N10 billion fund will bolster the operational capacity of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical national public health emergency response activities.
“The Presidential Task Force on Ebola will be chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, with membership drawn from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as state representatives,” Onanuga said.
Tinubu’s directive followed a high-level stakeholder meeting convened by the Chief of Staff to assess Nigeria’s current preparedness and develop strategies to prevent the possible importation of Ebola into the country.
“The President’s approval followed a stakeholder meeting convened under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff to review Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies against the possible importation of Ebola into Nigeria,” he stated.
The President has directed all states hosting international airports and international border corridors, along with relevant MDAs, to urgently submit their plans, funding requirements, and intervention needs for coordinated implementation.
Additional measures to be implemented by the Task Force include the intensification of passenger screening at all international airports with enhanced temperature checks and crowd-control protocols.
The Task Force will also strengthen monitoring of passengers arriving on high-risk routes, particularly flights operated by Air Uganda, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, Angola Airlines, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines.
Other measures involve the immediate activation of referral and isolation centres at Lagos and Abuja international airports (with other airports to follow), mandatory use of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers from or transiting through designated high-risk countries, and thorough disinfection of departure halls, cargo areas, baggage handling sections, and other airport facilities.
Onanuga added that the President has mandated the Task Force to consult with security, diplomatic, and aviation bodies with a view to regulating flights from affected and designated high-risk countries.
The Task Force has also been directed to designate specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to enable controlled screening and isolation procedures, and to consider adjusting flight timings to minimise interaction between high-risk passengers and others.
The Task Force is expected to coordinate a comprehensive national response to mitigate any potential public health risk posed by the Ebola outbreaks in the region.
