NCDC Places States on Ebola Alert

By Babatunji Wusu -The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as areas facing high or moderate risk of Ebola importation following fresh outbreaks in parts of Africa.

The agency announced the development on Thursday as it intensified nationwide Ebola preparedness measures amid fears of possible cross-border transmission into Nigeria.

NCDC Director-General, Jide Idris, said Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case linked to the current outbreak in East and Central Africa. However, he warned that rising infections in neighbouring regions have significantly increased the country’s risk level.

According to the agency, Lagos, the FCT, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, and Adamawa were classified as high-risk areas due to international airports, porous borders, and active trade and travel routes.

The NCDC also listed Ogun, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Kogi, Niger, Jigawa, Katsina, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Abia, and Bayelsa among states facing moderate risk and requiring stronger surveillance efforts.

“The risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria is high because of international travel, regional population movement, porous borders, and extensive trade networks,” Idris said.

The agency explained that symptoms of the Ebola virus often resemble malaria and Lassa fever, which could delay early detection. Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda have already reported 1,077 suspected cases and 247 deaths linked to the outbreak.

The NCDC added that the current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, which currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment.

The agency urged state governments to strengthen emergency response systems, improve border surveillance, and prepare isolation centres as part of ongoing Ebola preparedness efforts.

Do you think Nigeria is fully prepared to prevent another Ebola outbreak?