• Task govt on accurate risk communication to the public
Renowned health experts in the country have urged Nigerians not to panic over the reported outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in the country, saying they should rather prepare themselves by taking the precautionary measures that can prevent them from being infected.
An Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases, Pathogen Genomics and Molecular Epidemiology in the Department of Microbiology Adeleke University, Ede and the founder of Helix Biogen Institute Ogbomoso, Dr. Oladipo Elijah Kolawole, and a renowned virologist and former president of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Prof Oyewale Tomori, who both spoke with The Guardian on the outbreak, also tasked the Federal Government to ensure accurate risk communication to the public and rapid contact tracing as was the case in 2014.
When the disease was imported into Nigeria in July 2014, the country faced a public health emergency that threatened to overwhelm its healthcare system and expose millions of people to a deadly infection.
The deadly virus was imported into the country on July 20, 2014. The index case, Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American diplomat who flew into Lagos from Liberia, became ill and was admitted to a private hospital, where he was diagnosed to have had Ebola. He however died on July 25, 2014, after infecting health workers that attended to him.
There was palpable fear that Nigeria could become another major epicentre of the transmission of the virus, considering its overstretched health system, densely populated cities and high volume of international travels.
However, Nigeria immediately mobilised its robust infrastructure from its ongoing polio eradication programme to create an Ebola Emergency Operations Centre.
Nigeria’s response combined rapid case identification, contact tracing, isolation, laboratory investigation and coordinated public health action.
A central feature was the activation of an emergency operations structure that brought together epidemiologists, laboratory specialists, clinicians, logisticians, communication experts and other professionals. The response was supported by international partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), while Nigerian health officials took responsibility for implementing containment measures.
Contact tracing became particularly important. Health authorities identified people who had come into contact with infected individuals, monitored them for symptoms and arranged for suspected cases to be isolated and investigated.
The approach helped authorities follow the transmission chain rather than wait for patients to appear independently at hospitals
The country contained the outbreak within three months with 20 confirmed and probable cases recorded, including eight deaths. On October 20, 2014, the World Health Organisation declared Nigeria free of Ebola transmission after the required 42-day period without a new confirmed case.
Twelve years later, that experience is once again being tested.
The Federal Government on October 20, 2026, announced that a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria from Uganda had tested positive for Ebola Virus Disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The patient had received treatment at a private hospital in Abuja before the diagnosis was confirmed, raising immediate concerns about possible exposure among healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and other contacts.
According to the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, 44 close contacts had been identified, with investigations, surveillance and monitoring intensified to prevent further transmission.
Pate, on Thursday, announced that high-risk contacts had been placed in designated quarantine facilities, while others were being monitored under public health supervision.
The identified contacts reportedly include healthcare workers, patients, caregivers, domestic contacts and people associated with the private facility where the patient received treatment. Travel-related contacts are also relevant to the investigation.
Ebola is a rare but deadly disease caused by a virus, and spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood, vomit, faeces or saliva, or through contaminated surfaces and materials. It does not spread through the air like respiratory viruses
The illness often begins suddenly two to 21 days after exposure with a fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, and a sore throat. As the infection advances, patients commonly experience severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and skin rashes and the virus can cause multi-organ failure and internal or external bleeding such as bleeding from the gums, nose or gastrointestinal tract, though bleeding does not happen in every case.
The outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo began in May, and that month, the World Health Organisation declared it “a public health emergency of international concern.”
As of October, 19, 2026, it has claimed at least 4,600 lives, with more than 9,500 cases recorded. It was caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which is relatively rare, with no approved vaccine.
Current medical management relies on early, aggressive supportive care such as intravenous fluids, electrolyte balancing and treating secondary complications like organ failure.
Shortly after the DR Congo outbreak was announced, it was also reported in Uganda and the country recorded a total of 20 confirmed cases and tw deaths, with 18 patients recovering.
The WHO officially declared the Ebola outbreak in Uganda over on August 25, 2026, after 42 days passed without any new confirmed cases.
Cases have also been recorded in the Netherlands and Kenya.
Following the latest case in Nigeria, Pate told a media conference in Abuja that the patient, a woman who recently arrived on an international flight from Uganda, is in isolation and receiving care.
However, Uganda’s Ministry of Health says the country currently has no confirmed active cases, adding that preliminary information indicated that the patient had transited through Uganda without symptoms.
In a statement on X, Uganda’s Director General of Health Services, Charles Olaro, said the woman had travelled to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo for business before passing through Uganda in early October.
He argued that her symptoms had only developed after arriving in Nigeria.
The WHO on Thursday warned that Africa faced a “complex” Ebola outbreak after the virus crossed from East Africa to Nigeria.
Infectious disease experts argued that the travel history of the patient is very crucial in identifying and interrupting potential transmission chains to prevent further infections.
The Nigerian case has reignited memories of a widespread outbreak in 2014 that struck several countries in the region and killed more than 11,000 people across West Africa between late 2013 and 2016.
However, the successful containment of the Ebola outbreak in 2014 has raised confidence that Nigeria can respond effectively to new public health threats.
While the government insists that Nigeria has the capacity to contain the case, public health experts warn that previous success must not be mistaken for immunity against another outbreak.
They emphasised that the immediate challenge is to establish the full extent of exposure, identify everyone who may have been infected, protect healthcare workers and interrupt every possible chain of transmission before the virus gains a foothold in the community.
Kolawole noted that the controversy surrounding the travel history of Nigeria’s index case highlights a critical challenge in outbreak containment: trust and transparency.
“Travel history is not merely a background detail; it helps epidemiologists trace the source of infection, identify exposed contacts, assess cross-border transmission risks, and implement targeted public health interventions.
Conflicting accounts from Nigerian authorities, Uganda’s Ministry of Health, and international agencies can undermine public confidence and complicate response efforts,” he said.
Kolawole stated that while the exact origin of the infection remains under investigation, public health decisions should be guided by evidence rather than speculation.
He pointed out that during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, early disclosure of the index case and rapid contact tracing contributed significantly to successful containment, adding that the limited information available in the current situation has created room for misinformation, anxiety and mistrust among the public.
The infectious disease
expert emphasised that concern is heightened by ongoing election campaigns across several states, where large gatherings increase the potential for disease transmission if an infectious individual is present.
He explained that in the absence of a licenced vaccine specifically for the Bundibugyo species, prevention relies heavily on public health measures.
Kolawole pointed out that Nigeria’s successful containment of the 2014 Ebola outbreak remains one of the country’s greatest public health achievements and demonstrates the valuable lessons learnt, particularly in surveillance, contact tracing, emergency coordination, laboratory diagnosis, and risk communication.
He however, observed that every outbreak presents unique challenges and preparedness must be continually strengthened.
Kolawole argued that to contain the spread, the priorities should include immediate case isolation, rigorous contact tracing, expanded laboratory testing capacity, strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities, community engagement, and transparent risk communication.
On his part, Tomori, called for fuller disclosure of verifiable information about the case, including the laboratory confirmation process, the patient’s relevant travel and exposure history, the status of identified contacts and the measures being taken to prevent further transmission.
He said: “There is a lot of rumour surrounding this whole thing. That is the reason I was telling the government to tell the truth. Complete truth. Because when you leave a gap, all sorts of rumours come inside”.
Tomori said Uganda’s clarification that the woman had transited through its territory, rather than acquired the infection there, underscored the importance of establishing a patient’s movements and exposure history before attributing the source of an infection.
He recalled that Uganda had been free of Ebola since August, adding that the circumstances surrounding the reported case required careful verification.
“Uganda has come up and told us point blank that this lady just transited through their country,” he said.
Tomori maintained that the distinction between a transit country and the place where an infection was acquired was crucial to understanding the outbreak and communicating the risk accurately to the public.
According to him, official statements should go beyond announcing a confirmed case to explain how the diagnosis was established, what investigations had been conducted and what was being done to contain the risk.
He argued that identifying the laboratory responsible for testing the patient’s samples would help provide clarity about the confirmation process, while more detailed information about contact tracing would allow Nigerians to better understand the scope of the response.
“If you leave a gap, all sorts of rumours come inside,” he stressed.
Tomori said the government must strike a balance between protecting patients’ privacy and providing sufficient public health information to reassure the population. He acknowledged that disclosing the identity or location of a treatment facility could raise concerns about stigma but maintained that authorities should communicate the relevant facts responsibly.
Tomori expressed confidence that Nigeria could contain the outbreak if the authorities implemented established response procedures promptly.
He cited Nigeria’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014 as evidence that the country had previously demonstrated its ability to respond effectively to an imported case.
He also pointed to the experience of the Director General of NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, who led aspects of Nigeria’s response during the 2014 outbreak and now heads the agency, arguing that the country had relevant institutional experience to draw upon.
“We have. I mean, we did it in 2014,” he said when asked whether Nigeria had the capacity to contain the outbreak.
Tomori urged the government to activate existing contingency plans, strengthen surveillance and ensure that public health institutions had the resources required to carry out their responsibilities.
He said there was no need for Nigerians to panic but warned against allowing
reassurance to become an excuse for complacency.
“I’m saying it. I’m repeating it 200 times. Do not panic. Panic doesn’t solve any problem for anybody. Prepare,” he said.
He maintained that effective preparedness required more than public assurances, insisting that authorities should demonstrate what they were doing, how response measures were being implemented and which institutions were responsible for each aspect of the operation.
virologist also questioned the handling of the reported N10 billion approved by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government committee in connection with the country’s response arrangements, demanding greater transparency about the fund’s purpose, management and utilisation.
He asked what the committee had accomplished since it was announced and why Nigerians had not received a clear account of its activities.
Tomori argued that resources intended to protect public health should be channelled to the NCDC, which is the institution directly responsible for disease surveillance, outbreak investigation and emergency response.
In June, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved N10 billion ($7.5m) in emergency funding and set up a Presidential Task Force on Ebola preparedness. Airports had already stepped up screening in May, with isolation centres set up in Lagos and Abuja and mandatory health declarations for travellers from designated high-risk countries.
Giving a situation update on Thursday in Abuja, the Health Minister stated that the patient had shown signs of improvement, with laboratory results indicating progress.
Pate assured that Nigeria has the experience and systems to contain the outbreak, having successfully contained Ebola in 2014.
He described the case as “contained” and said the government is working with partners to prevent further transmission.
Pate, however, cautioned Nigerians against complacency, stressing that the government’s priority was to prevent the infection from spreading into communities, hence the need for Nigerians to observe the infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols.
The minister noted that the NCDC is coordinating the operational response alongside the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, FCT health authorities, Port Health Services and other relevant agencies.
He pointed out that the government has also mobilised additional resources, engaged international technical partners and activated its incident management system.
Pate stated that for now, there is no evidence that the infection has spread into the wider community and also ruled out restrictions on planned public gatherings, arguing that the available evidence does not yet justify such measures.
The minister observed that the government is working to ensure that the quarantine and isolation measures were strictly observed in line with expert guidelines.
