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President Bola Tinubu has approved the creation of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats.
The President, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, also ordered the immediate disbursement of N10 billion for emergency preparedness.
The funds are to strengthen the operational readiness of the Nigerian Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical national public health emergency response activities.
The Presidential Task Force will be led by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, with members coming from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as state representatives.
The approval follows a high-level stakeholder meeting convened by the Nigerian Chief of Staff to assess Nigeria’s preparedness and develop a strategy to counter the possible introduction of Ebola into the country.
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The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Lagos State Government and other key stakeholders.
Tinubu also directed all states hosting international airports and border corridors, as well as associated MDAs, to submit their preparedness plans, funding requirements and intervention requirements for coordinated implementation.
The President approved a series of immediate measures to strengthen monitoring and response mechanisms across the country.
This includes intensive passenger screening at all international airports through enhanced temperature checks and crowd control protocols.
Other measures include increased monitoring of passengers arriving via designated high-risk airline routes, including Air Uganda, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, TAAG Angola Airlines, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.
The task force also ensured the immediate activation of referral and isolation centers at international airports in Lagos and Abuja, with similar facilities to be established at other airports.
Additionally, a QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration system will be activated for passengers arriving from or transiting through designated high-risk countries.
President Tinubu also approved the disinfection of departure halls, baggage areas, cargo sections and other airport facilities as an environmental precaution.
He further directed the advisory group to consult with security, diplomatic and aviation authorities on steps to regulate flights from affected and high-risk countries.
The task force is expected to designate specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to facilitate controlled screening, isolation and response procedures.
