By Ayomide Otitoju
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of importing Ebola virus disease (EVD) amid ongoing outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NCDC Director-General, Jide Idris, said no cases have been confirmed in Nigeria, but heightened regional transmission, international travel, and cross-border movement have increased the risk of importation.
He said the agency’s latest risk assessment classified the threat level as high, citing uncertainty around the scale of outbreaks and the possibility of delayed detection due to symptom overlap with diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever.
The NCDC noted that several states have been identified as vulnerable due to their proximity to land borders, transport corridors, and international entry points.
It added that response activities are ongoing in affected countries, including surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control, and public awareness campaigns.
The agency also confirmed that Nigeria’s national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has been placed on alert, with the incident management system activated to strengthen coordination and preparedness.
According to the NCDC, Nigeria retains strong response capacity from previous Ebola outbreaks, including trained rapid response teams, functional laboratories, and established viral haemorrhagic fever preparedness structures.
It said laboratories in states with international points of entry have been placed on standby, while systems for sample collection and transport have been reinforced to support rapid diagnosis.
The agency further disclosed that it has intensified public communication efforts to counter misinformation, working with health professionals, media organisations, community leaders, and digital platforms to promote accurate information on Ebola.
