The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has raised concerns over the country’s preparedness for a possible Ebola outbreak, disclosing that Nigeria currently stands at about 59 per cent readiness. The warning comes amid renewed Ebola cases in parts of Africa, including Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
NCDC Flags Preparedness Gaps
The Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, made the disclosure during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, noting that a recent nationwide assessment exposed significant gaps in Nigeria’s emergency response capacity.
He explained that the evaluation examined critical health systems, including isolation centres, emergency operations units, and available medical stockpiles needed in the event of an outbreak.
“Our latest assessment puts Nigeria’s preparedness level at about 59 per cent. But preparedness is dynamic; you can never be 100 per cent prepared because situations keep changing,” he said.
State and National Response Efforts
Idris said teams were deployed across the country to assess readiness levels in collaboration with state health authorities and provide guidance on urgent areas of improvement.
He noted that while some progress has been made, Nigeria is still not fully prepared to handle a major Ebola outbreak if it occurs.
“We sent advisers to work with state commissioners and assess their level of preparedness. We are looking at infrastructure, isolation facilities, emergency operations centres, and available stockpiles,” he said.
Border Security and Entry Point Concerns
A key concern raised by the NCDC is the vulnerability of Nigeria’s entry points, particularly airports and land borders, which remain potential routes for disease importation.
According to Idris, the Federal Ministry of Health has issued new protocols to strengthen screening and monitoring at points of entry.
“Our primary objective is to prevent the disease from entering Nigeria,” he said.
He added that states with international airports have been classified as high-risk areas due to increased travel flow.
Porous Borders Remain Major Challenge
Idris also warned that Nigeria’s porous land borders continue to pose a major risk, as many travellers enter the country through unofficial routes that are difficult to monitor.
“The biggest challenge remains our porous borders. Not everyone enters Nigeria by air. Many people travel across borders by road and through informal routes,” he said.
Health officials say ongoing surveillance and preparedness measures remain critical as the country works to strengthen its response systems against infectious disease threats.