The federal government has assured Nigerians it is prepared to contain Ebola after detecting an imported case in the country and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public health nationwide.

Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats, chief of staff Femi Gbajabiamila, gave assurance Wednesday in Abuja after an emergency meeting at the State House presidential villa.

Mr Gbajabiamila spoke to State House correspondents after the task force emergency meeting to brief journalists on preparedness measures and national response coordination efforts for containment nationwide.

Mr Gbajabiamila said the task force had been working behind the scenes since its inauguration in June, strengthening surveillance and preparedness measures across all entry points and health facilities nationwide. He attributed the early detection of the index case to surveillance systems and protocols established by the health ministry’s task force and relevant agencies, which collaborated effectively to ensure rapid identification and response nationwide.

“It’s very important to note this. Since the issue of Ebola came up in June, there have been about 44,000 flights in and out of Nigeria,” said Mr Gbajabiamila. “So, it’s because of what the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the task force and all the agencies have been doing. All hands have been on deck.”

Mr Gbajabiamila said the infected passenger showed no symptoms upon arrival, with symptoms developing four days after the woman arrived in Abuja, before laboratory confirmation and subsequent isolation for medical care and treatment protocols.

“The passenger with the disease showed no symptoms, which came four days after the woman got into Abuja, and it was the identification process and the protocols that were put in place that enabled the quick identification. That also speaks to the country’s capacity and ability to deal with this disease as best as we can,” he said.

Mr Gbajabiamila said the task force would strengthen existing protocols and ensure stricter enforcement of public health measures at airports, borders and health facilities to prevent further spread nationwide.

“The task force is on top of it. NCDC is on top of it; everyone is on deck. We must build community trust and avoid panic, but it’s also important to state clearly that this is a collaborative effort between the government and the people.”

He urged Nigerians to comply with public health directives in the country’s collective interest and cooperate with health officials conducting contact tracing and surveillance across states.

Health minister Ali Pate said Nigeria had competent health authorities and surveillance systems to respond to outbreaks effectively and contain the spread nationwide. He listed private hospital operators, immigration and aviation authorities, interior ministry and subnational actors among those supporting response efforts coordinated through the incident management system nationwide.

“We have been conducting contact tracing diligently and isolating those contacts of the index imported case in this country. We will continue to do that, and we want to reassure Nigerians that the federal government, alongside its technical partners, the World Health Organisation, the Africa Centre for Disease Control, and our own Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, have activated the incident management system across the various pillars,” Mr Pate explained.

Pate said response teams were working round the clock, while hospital capabilities had been activated to support containment efforts and ensure adequate case management, isolation, and treatment, stating, “They are working day and night diligently, and our hospital capabilities are also activated, such that we can aim to contain this case, as has been the case in other countries.”

He said most states had response plans, and the government was mobilising available resources and capabilities to contain the outbreak and strengthen surveillance, preparedness, and coordination nationwide.

Mr Pate also urged Nigerians to avoid spreading misinformation and unverified reports that could trigger unnecessary panic and undermine public health response efforts coordinated by authorities. He expressed confidence in Nigeria’s public health expertise, recalling the country’s experience in containing Ebola in 2014 and its contributions to responses in other countries across West Africa.

(NAN)