Tinubu unveils ₦10B outbreak fund
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the immediate establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats. To back this initiative, the President ordered the immediate release of ₦10 billion in emergency intervention funding.
The special fund will directly strengthen the operational readiness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), according to a press statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Furthermore, the financial injection will support critical national public health emergency response activities. This proactive decision follows the recent resurgence of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Task force tackles border security
The Presidential Task Force will run under the direct chairmanship of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. Its membership spans key Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), alongside various State representatives.
Consequently, President Tinubu has directed all states hosting international airports and land border corridors to submit their intervention plans immediately. To ensure a airtight defense, authorities will heavily monitor passengers arriving via high-risk airline routes. This targeted list includes flights operated by Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, RwandAir, Air Uganda, Air Tanzania, and Air Angola.
Ebola prevention: Strict airport protocols activated
Moving forward, the newly formed task force will enforce stringent health measures across the aviation sector. Aviation authorities will intensify passenger screening at all international entry points using enhanced temperature checks and crowd-control protocols.
In tandem with these checks, the government has mandated the immediate activation of referral and isolation centres at the Lagos and Abuja international airports. Arriving travellers from designated high-risk countries must also complete mandatory QR-code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems. Ultimately, the task force holds the authority to regulate flights, adjust flight timings, and designate specific terminals for high-risk arrivals to prevent local transmission.
Read President Tinubu’s full press release on Ebola prevention below:
STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE
PRESIDENT TINUBU ESTABLISHES TASK FORCE ON EBOLA; APPROVES N10B FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats and… pic.twitter.com/Br4Jo6qNFd
— Bayo Onanuga, OON, CON (@aonanuga1956) June 9, 2026
