The Federal Government (FG) is considering restricting flights from countries affected by the Ebola virus as part of measures to prevent a possible outbreak in Nigeria.
This was disclosed on Thursday by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, after a high-level meeting in Lagos involving officials from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Ministry of Interior, and Lagos State Government.
Gbajabiamila said the government was exploring several preventive steps, including isolating passengers showing Ebola symptoms at airports and using special cargo terminals for travellers arriving from affected countries.
“We have a health scare, which is Ebola, and we all know what happened the last time. The cases are getting worse internationally, and we don’t want to leave anything to chance,” he said.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu has been briefed on the Ebola situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with assurances that every necessary measure would be taken to stop the virus from entering Nigeria.
“We looked at the possibility of restricting flights from countries of interest. We also considered isolating passengers who may exhibit symptoms of Ebola and putting protocols in place because prevention is better than cure,” Gbajabiamila added.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said all entry points into Nigeria would be placed under strict surveillance, while the Nigeria Immigration Service would collaborate with the NCDC on early detection measures.
NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, warned that Ebola remains a d+adly virus with “no treatment, no vaccines,” stressing the need for quick detection, isolation, public enlightenment, and strict infection control.
He added that preparedness plans had been activated across all 36 states, with healthcare workers placed on alert.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently confirmed 10 Ebola d+aths and 223 suspected d+aths in DR Congo since the latest outbreak began in mid-May.
