Lagos State Government has advocated measures to reduce interactions between passengers arriving from high-risk countries and other travellers, to prevent the transmission of Ebola virus into the country.

This followed reports that as of May 30, 263 confirmed Ebola cases have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. This was disclosed by the ‌Director General of the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Jean Kaseya said.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, yesterday, said the move in partnership with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) was critical as the state steps up surveillance and preparedness measures at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) to prevent the transmission of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) into Nigeria.

This, he said, was crucial as concerns grew over the resurgence of the deadly viral infection in parts of Central and East Africa.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the move comes amid heightened vigilance by health authorities following reports of Ebola outbreaks in affected African countries, prompting Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub and principal international gateway, to reinforce its biosecurity architecture against potential cross-border transmission.

Leading a high-level delegation on an inspection and preparedness tour of MMIA, Abayomi said Lagos could not afford to be complacent given its position as the country’s busiest entry point and its experience during Nigeria’s historic Ebola outbreak in 2014.

The delegation included the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, and the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Dayo Lajide.

Other delegates included the Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health, Dr Ismail Abdus-Salam; and senior officials of the Lagos State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC).

The team was received by airport authorities led by the Airport Manager and Regional General Manager, South-West MMIA, Mr Olatokunbo Arewa, alongside officials from Port Health Services, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other agencies.

During the inspection, both teams reviewed passenger movement systems, disease surveillance mechanisms, infection prevention and control procedures, emergency response plans and opportunities for stronger collaboration between state and federal authorities.

Speaking during the engagement, Abayomi warned that diseases such as Ebola, COVID-19 and Lassa fever continue to pose significant risks because of the volume of international travel and global mobility.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, emphasised that disease prevention required a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach involving all levels of government and frontline personnel.

Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Dayo Lajide, urged airport workers to maintain strict compliance with infection prevention and control protocols, noting that their safety was essential to protecting travellers and the wider population.

Responding, the Airport Manager, Olatokunbo Arewa, reaffirmed MMIA’s commitment to preventing the entry of Ebola into Nigeria.

Providing details of ongoing preparedness efforts, the Head of Port Health Services at MMIA, Dr Lawal Abdullahi, disclosed that the airport reviewed and updated its Public Health Emergency Contingency Plan on March 18, 2026, before the latest Ebola developments in Africa.

Also speaking, the Aeromedical Assessor of NCAA, Dr Abayomi Asunbo, said the Agency had issued directives requiring airlines operating designated international routes to strictly comply with public health regulations before passengers are admitted into Nigeria.

Similarly, the General Manager of Aviation Medical Services at FAAN, Dr Bilkis Ibrahim, disclosed that additional personal protective equipment, public awareness materials, multilingual health advisories and staff training programmes were being deployed to bolster preparedness across the airport system; while the Head of Department, Medical Services, MMIA, Dr Uche Ofoegbu, said airport stakeholders had intensified awareness campaigns and educational programmes.