By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Dr. Jide Idris, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Abuja says Nigeria’s level of preparedness for health emergencies currently stands at about 59 per cent, as authorities intensify surveillance measures against the threat of Ebola and other infectious diseases.
Speaking in an interview with Arise Television monitored by Persecondnews on Monday, Idris acknowledged that while Nigeria cannot be “100 percent prepared,” continuous efforts are underway to close existing gaps and strengthen the nation’s emergency response systems.
According to him, the Federal Government has already conducted a dynamic risk assessment following reports of disease outbreaks in the eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda.
“Our latest level of assessment puts us at about 59 per cent readiness. We can’t be 100 per cent prepared, but the essence is that we keep preparing because things change,” he said.
The NCDC boss identified Nigeria’s points of entry, especially airports and porous land borders, as major concerns in preventing the importation of infectious diseases.
“Nigeria has no recorded case of Ebola. The objective is that we should not allow this thing to come into the country in the first place.”
He, however, warned that surveillance must go beyond airports alone.
“Not everybody comes in by air. We have people migrating by road and other routes. These are the risks, and that’s why it is essential for us to prepare,” Idris said.
He explained that states with international airports had been categorised as high-risk areas, while health authorities were also scaling up monitoring across border communities.
Recalling Nigeria’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014, Idris said rapid detection, isolation, contact tracing and laboratory diagnosis remain critical tools in preventing widespread transmission.
He urged Nigerians and healthcare workers to remain vigilant and pay attention to symptoms associated with Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic fevers.
“How Ebola presents typically is like malaria , fever, malaise and similar symptoms. However, one of the key signs is bleeding. That is why it is called a haemorrhagic fever,” he explained.
The NCDC Director-General also stressed the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline health workers.
“Personal protective equipment like gloves and gowns for field workers are very important. The protective gear helps healthcare workers avoid exposure and infection,” he said.
Idris noted that Nigeria has continued to build on lessons learnt from both the Ebola outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic by improving laboratory systems, training health personnel and expanding emergency preparedness structures across states.
NCDC had ramped up Ebola surveillance across nine key states following a fresh outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo variant in East and Central Africa.
As reported by Persecondnews, the increased monitoring affects Lagos, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, and Adamawa.
The NCDC warned that Nigeria’s high volume of international travel and cross-border movement leaves the country highly vulnerable to regional transmission.