FG Considers Flight Restrictions Over Rising Ebola Cases in Africa
The Federal Government has announced plans to tighten border and airport health measures, including the possibility of restricting flights from Ebola-affected countries, as concerns grow over the spread of the virus across parts of Africa.
The disclosure was made on Thursday by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, following a high-level emergency meeting in Lagos involving officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Ministry of Interior, and the Lagos State Government.
Speaking after the meeting, Gbajabiamila said the Federal Government was considering several preventive measures aimed at stopping a possible Ebola outbreak in Nigeria.
The proposed measures include stricter airport screening, isolation of travellers showing symptoms of the virus, and the use of designated cargo terminals for passengers arriving from affected nations.
“We have a health scare, which is Ebola, and we all know what happened the last time. The cases are getting worse internationally, and we don’t want to leave anything to chance,” he stated.
He further revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been fully briefed on the situation, particularly the outbreaks reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, assuring Nigerians that the government would take all necessary steps to prevent the virus from entering the country.
According to Gbajabiamila, authorities are also reviewing the possibility of imposing temporary flight restrictions on countries considered high-risk, while strengthening surveillance and emergency response systems nationwide.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said all entry points into Nigeria would be placed under heightened surveillance.
He added that the Nigeria Immigration Service would work closely with the NCDC to ensure early detection and effective monitoring of travellers entering the country.
Meanwhile, Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, warned that Ebola remains a highly dangerous virus, stressing the importance of early detection, isolation, infection prevention, and public awareness.
He disclosed that emergency preparedness plans had already been activated across the 36 states of the federation, with healthcare workers and response teams placed on high alert.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently confirmed 10 Ebola-related deaths and over 223 suspected deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the latest outbreak began in mid-May, raising concerns among health authorities across Africa.
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