The Federal Government is planning to identify and equip Ebola treatment centres in states with designated ports of entry as the number of identified contacts linked to Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case rises to 53.
The measures are aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s preparedness and ensuring that suspected cases can be detected, isolated and referred for treatment promptly.
According to a Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention situation report dated October 24, 2026, the 53 contacts had been identified, categorised and placed under follow-up monitoring.
The government is also assessing isolation and treatment capacity at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, while an infection prevention and control assessment is planned for Karu General Hospital in Abuja.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, also announced an emergency support payment of ₦100,000 per person weekly for individuals placed in isolation or quarantine to help cover feeding, accommodation and family expenses.
Idris said the intervention followed complaints from contacts about the financial burden of complying with monitoring arrangements. He stressed that state governments must also prepare financial and logistical resources to manage potential emergencies.
Of the 53 identified contacts, 44 were linked to the health facility where the patient received treatment, while nine were household members and people who attended to her during an earlier emergency room visit. The NCDC is continuing to identify secondary contacts and monitor those already listed.
One contact who reported feeling unwell tested negative for Ebola, according to Idris, while daily monitoring and follow-up continue.
The confirmed case involves a woman who travelled to Nigeria after visiting Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola on October 20, 2026.
The government is also strengthening laboratory testing, supplies of personal protective equipment, surveillance at airports and other entry points, and infection prevention measures in healthcare facilities.
The NCDC has urged Nigerians to follow official health advisories, practise regular hand hygiene, avoid direct contact with the blood and other body fluids of suspected cases, and cooperate with contact-tracing teams.
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