By Desire Uzochukwu
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has clarified that the N10 billion allocated for public health preparedness is not meant for Ebola alone, insisting that Nigeria’s response to the imported Ebola case is being guided by science and not political considerations.
The agency also declared that Nigeria currently has no active Ebola case, following the confirmation of an imported case of the Bundibugyo strain, while assuring Nigerians that all identified contacts are being monitored daily.
In a press statement issued by its Director-General, the NCDC said the Ebola case was confirmed in its laboratory on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, less than 24 hours after the agency received an alert in Abuja.
The agency said the rapid confirmation demonstrated the country’s preparedness to respond to emerging public health threats, stressing that its surveillance and response mechanisms were activated promptly.
” Nigeria has met its first imported Ebola case with vigilance, not fear; precaution, not panic,” the statement said.
It added: “We did not wait for Ebola to get ready, and we will not stop getting better.”
Addressing concerns over the N10 billion allocation, the agency clarified that the funding should not be interpreted as an Ebola-specific intervention, but as part of broader public health preparedness and response efforts.
The NCDC further cautioned against politicising the outbreak, urging public figures and Nigerians to rely on verified information rather than rumours.
“Ebola is a health threat, not a political tool, and science, not rumour, will lead this response,” it declared.
On the possibility of further infections, the agency said Nigeria was not yet completely out of danger, explaining that surveillance would continue until the last identified contact had completed the mandatory 21-day monitoring period without developing symptoms or any new case emerging elsewhere.
“Every contact identified is being managed, and today Nigeria has no active case,” it stated.
The NCDC assured Nigerians that it would continue to provide updates on the situation, its response measures and emerging findings.
The agency also addressed concerns over public events, political campaigns, elections and travel restrictions, declaring that the current situation did not warrant the postponement of elections, prohibition of mass gatherings or restriction of movement.
“The situation today does not warrant postponing elections, banning mass gatherings or campaigns, or restricting travel, and NCDC has recommended none of these,” the statement said.
Instead, the agency disclosed that it had developed technical guidelines for organisers of mass gatherings, stressing that events could proceed safely if appropriate infection prevention, control and safety protocols were strictly observed.
It urged Nigerians to remain vigilant without panic and to verify information before sharing it, assuring that any change in the country’s risk assessment would be communicated promptly.
The agency reiterated that its public health recommendations would remain evidence-based, warning against dragging disease surveillance and outbreak response into political controversies.
