- Appoints Gbajabiamila to head Preparedness Task Force
By Chesa Chesa
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats, alongside the immediate release of N10 billion to strengthen Nigeria’s readiness against a possible outbreak.
The emergency intervention fund is intended to boost the operational preparedness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and support critical public health emergency response activities across the country.
The development was announced in a statement issued on Tuesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, the newly constituted Presidential Task Force will be chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will comprise representatives of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as state governments.
The decision follows growing concerns over the resurgence of Ebola in neighbouring African countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, raising fears of possible cross-border transmission.
The President’s approval came after a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened by Gbajabiamila to assess Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies to prevent the importation of the deadly virus.
Participants at the meeting included representatives 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 agencies.
As part of the emergency measures, President Tinubu directed all states hosting international airports and major international border corridors to submit their preparedness plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for coordinated implementation.
The Task Force has also been mandated to implement enhanced surveillance and screening measures at the country’s points of entry.
These include intensified passenger screening at international airports through stricter temperature checks and crowd-control protocols, as well as increased monitoring of travellers arriving through high-risk routes serviced by airlines such as Air Uganda, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.
The government also ordered the immediate activation of referral and isolation centres at the international airports in Lagos and Abuja, with plans to extend the initiative to other airports nationwide.
In addition, authorities will introduce mandatory QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers travelling from or transiting through designated high-risk countries.
Airport facilities, including departure halls, cargo terminals and baggage handling areas, are also to undergo routine disinfection as a precautionary measure.
President Tinubu further directed the advisory group to work closely with security, diplomatic and aviation authorities to review and regulate flights originating from affected and other designated high-risk countries.
The Task Force is expected to designate specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to facilitate controlled screening and isolation procedures. It will also consider adjustments to flight schedules to minimise interaction between high-risk passengers and other travellers.
The Federal Government said the measures are part of broader efforts to strengthen national preparedness against Ebola and other emerging public health threats, while safeguarding public health and preventing a repeat of previous outbreaks.
