The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr Jide Idris, has clarified that the ₦10 billion emergency intervention fund approved by President Bola Tinubu is not meant exclusively for Ebola preparedness but also covers efforts to control other endemic diseases, including Lassa fever.
Idris made the clarification during an interview on Channels Television’s *Politics Today* on Monday, October 26, 2026, amid questions about the purpose and utilisation of the fund.
According to him, the funding was requested to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness and response to multiple public health threats, as several diseases require similar surveillance, diagnostic testing, screening and monitoring measures.
He explained that the approaching Lassa fever season makes it necessary to strengthen existing public health systems alongside preparations for a possible Ebola outbreak.
The NCDC chief also identified the need for personal protective equipment, laboratory supplies, operational resources and repairs to isolation centres as part of the country’s emergency response requirements.
President Tinubu approved the ₦10 billion intervention in June 2026 and established a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats to coordinate preparedness efforts.
The funding is intended to strengthen the operational capacity of the NCDC and support critical national public health emergency response activities.
Idris’ clarification highlights the broader scope of the intervention, which is designed to improve Nigeria’s ability to detect, monitor and respond to Ebola and other infectious disease threats.
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