Nigeria has introduced fresh travel restrictions as authorities intensify efforts to prevent the spread of Ebola following a confirmed case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to place 46 people identified as contacts of the affected patient on a no-fly list for at least 21 days.
Keyamo announced the directive after a virtual meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, who provided details of the people who may have been exposed to the virus.
According to Keyamo, 44 individuals had contact with the female patient at a hospital after she developed Ebola symptoms, while the remaining two are members of her domestic staff.
“This evening, I held a virtual meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate over the Ebola scourge,” Keyamo said.
He explained that the restriction would prevent the identified contacts from travelling by air while health authorities work to determine whether they have been infected.
“Whilst efforts are ongoing to isolate them for now until there is certainty they had not been infected with the virus, the Aviation authorities are required to put them on a no-fly list for at least 21 days (which is the period that the symptoms are normally expected to manifest),” he stated.
Keyamo also directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to immediately inform local and international airlines about the restriction.
FAAN has been instructed to strengthen Ebola surveillance and response measures at international airports across the country. The measures include health screening, temperature checks, travel history monitoring and digital health declarations, alongside coordination with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
The minister’s statement did not reveal the patient’s identity or the hospital where the contacts were identified. It also did not establish where the infection was contracted or indicate that any of the 46 contacts had tested positive for Ebola.
FAAN Strengthens Airport Surveillance
The development follows FAAN’s announcement on Wednesday that it was maintaining heightened vigilance across airport operations.
The agency said it was working with the NCDC, Port Health Services, NCAA and other relevant bodies to support efforts to contain the outbreak.
FAAN said the early identification of the case and the commencement of contact tracing highlighted the importance of surveillance systems and cooperation among public health agencies.
In a statement issued by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, the agency assured passengers and airport workers that it would continue coordinating with health authorities and implementing any additional measures considered necessary.
FAAN also urged travellers, airlines and other airport users to remain calm, cooperate with health officials and rely on verified information rather than spreading unconfirmed reports.
The Federal Government confirmed an Ebola case in the FCT on Wednesday, prompting increased public health monitoring and containment efforts.
Presidential Task Force Assures Nigerians
Meanwhile, the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats has assured Nigerians that the country has systems in place to respond to the outbreak.
The task force chairman and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, gave the assurance after an emergency meeting at the State House on Wednesday.
Gbajabiamila said the task force had been working since its inauguration in June and credited the existing surveillance and response arrangements with helping authorities identify the case.
He disclosed that approximately 44,000 flights had travelled into and out of Nigeria since Ebola became a concern in June, stressing that health authorities and other agencies had been working to strengthen preparedness.
According to him, the affected passenger initially showed no symptoms, which developed four days after the woman arrived in Abuja. He said the identification process and established protocols helped authorities detect the case.
Gbajabiamila said the government would strengthen existing procedures and ensure stricter enforcement where necessary.
“The Task Force is on top of it. NCDC is on top of it; everyone is on deck,” he said, while urging Nigerians to cooperate with public health directives and avoid panic.
He also stressed that containing the outbreak required cooperation between the government and the public.
Health Minister Says Contact Tracing Is Ongoing
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, also assured Nigerians that the country had competent health professionals and agencies capable of responding to the outbreak.
Pate said contact tracing and isolation efforts were ongoing for people linked to the imported case.
He explained that the Federal Government, working with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the NCDC, had activated its incident management system.
According to the minister, response teams were working around the clock, while hospital capabilities had also been activated to support containment efforts.
He said most states had response plans and that the government was mobilising available resources to strengthen the national response.
Pate urged Nigerians to follow public health instructions and avoid spreading misinformation that could cause unnecessary fear.
He also expressed confidence in the experience of Nigeria’s public health professionals, noting that the country had successfully responded to Ebola in 2014 and contributed to efforts in other countries.
Other officials and representatives involved in the emergency meeting included Nigeria Immigration Service Comptroller-General Kemi Nandap, FAAN Managing Director Bunmi Kuku, FAAN General Manager Adamu Adamu, WHO representative Pavel Ursu and Africa CDC Special Regional Representative Aliko Ahmed.
As authorities intensify surveillance and contact tracing, the government continues to urge Nigerians to remain vigilant, follow official health guidance and avoid unverified claims about the outbreak.
