The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, has said Nigeria could declare the Ebola outbreak over as early as December 7, 2026, if no further confirmed or probable cases are detected.

Pate stated this in a post on X on Monday, following the medical evacuation of the imported Ebola index patient from Nigeria.

He said the immediate priorities were monitoring identified contacts, investigating alerts and strengthening preparedness across health facilities.

According to the minister, the proposed date remains provisional, pending validation of the 42-day countdown by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

He explained that any additional confirmed or probable case would require a fresh countdown in line with WHO criteria.

Pate said health teams were working with the Federal Capital Territory Administration, state health authorities and partners to contain the outbreak and prevent community transmission.

He urged Nigerians to remain calm, cooperate with contact-tracing teams and follow official updates from the NCDC and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.