…Gbajabiamila to lead presidential team as FG tightens airport surveillance

President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats and authorised the immediate release of N10 billion to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency response capacity against the deadly virus.

The intervention comes amid renewed concerns over the resurgence of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, prompting the Federal Government to activate measures aimed at preventing the importation of the disease into the country.

The emergency funding is expected to bolster the operational readiness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical public health response activities nationwide.

The newly constituted Presidential Task Force will be chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, with membership drawn from key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), alongside representatives of state governments.

President Tinubu’s approval followed a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened by Gbajabiamila to assess Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies to forestall any outbreak within the country’s borders.

Participants at the meeting included officials of the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Lagos State Government and other critical institutions involved in disease surveillance and border management.

As part of the emergency measures, the President directed all states hosting international airports and major border corridors to submit detailed preparedness plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for coordinated implementation by the Federal Government.

The Task Force is also expected to immediately intensify passenger screening at international airports through enhanced temperature checks and stricter crowd-control measures.

Authorities have been directed to strengthen monitoring of travellers arriving through identified high-risk routes, including flights operated by Air Uganda, RwandaAir, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.

In addition, referral and isolation centres are to be activated without delay at the Lagos and Abuja international airports, while similar facilities will subsequently be established at other designated entry points across the country.

The government further ordered the mandatory deployment of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers originating from, or transiting through, countries classified as high risk.

Other precautionary measures include the disinfection of departure halls, cargo terminals, baggage handling areas and other airport facilities.
President Tinubu also mandated the advisory group to engage security, diplomatic and aviation authorities on possible regulations governing flights from affected countries.

The Task Force is expected to recommend the designation of specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to facilitate controlled screening and isolation procedures, as well as consider adjustments to flight schedules to minimise contact between high-risk travellers and other passengers.

The latest measures signal the administration’s determination to avoid a repeat of past public health emergencies by strengthening early detection systems, tightening border surveillance and ensuring rapid response capacity in the face of emerging disease threats.