NCDC Places Emergency Centre on Alert, Warns Ebola Importation Risk High

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has placed its National Emergency Operations Centre on alert and warned that the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria is high, following the escalation of the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

In a public health advisory issued on Sunday, May 24, NCDC Director-General Jide Idris said the agency had intensified nationwide surveillance and emergency preparedness measures. While Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed case linked to the ongoing regional outbreak, the risk assessment identified border communities, major transport hubs, and international points of entry as areas requiring closer monitoring.

Several major Nigerian media outlets, including TheCable, Vanguard, and The Nation, confirmed the alert on May 24. The NCDC said the risk of Ebola importation was considered high because of ongoing transmission in Uganda and the DRC, international travel and population movement, and uncertainty regarding the full magnitude of the outbreak.

The agency noted that early Ebola symptoms — fever, headache, muscle pain — overlap with common diseases in Nigeria such as malaria and Lassa fever, which could delay detection if health workers and the public are not vigilant.

The NCDC has activated the National Incident Management System with clear reporting and escalation pathways, placed epidemiologists and Rapid Response Teams on standby for deployment, and intensified surveillance at points of entry and border communities. Ebola preparedness tools and checklists have also been distributed to healthcare facilities nationwide, with refresher trainings ongoing for health workers.

This heightened alert follows the NCDC’s earlier warning last week that Nigeria had raised Ebola vigilance as WHO upgraded the DRC outbreak risk.

Sources: TheCable, Vanguard, The Nation, Naija News