The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has placed the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and nine other states on heightened Ebola surveillance following the outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo strain of the virus in parts of East and Central Africa.

In a public health advisory issued to state Commissioners for Health, the agency warned that Nigeria remains at high risk of importing the virus due to increased regional transmission, cross-border movement, international travel, and porous borders.

The advisory, dated May 27, 2026, identified Lagos, the FCT, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, and Adamawa as high-risk areas because of their international airports, seaports, border corridors, and heavy human traffic.

According to the NCDC, the current outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain presents a major concern because there is presently no approved vaccine or targeted treatment for the variant.

“The immediate objective of our national preparedness and readiness efforts is to ensure that every state and the FCT can reasonably detect, contain, and respond swiftly to any suspected case while protecting health workers and sustaining essential health services,” the agency stated.

Although Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case, the NCDC disclosed that a recent risk assessment conducted after the outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern indicated that the threat of importation into the country remains significant.

The agency revealed that Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo had already recorded over 1,000 suspected cases and hundreds of deaths linked to the outbreak, with a fatality rate estimated at 24.6 per cent.

The outbreak has also raised global concern, with reports of suspected cases emerging in India, while Canada reportedly imposed temporary restrictions on certain travel applications involving residents from Uganda, the DRC, and South Sudan.

Uganda has equally introduced border control measures aimed at curbing the spread of the disease.

Health authorities stressed that the Bundibugyo strain differs from the more common Zaire Ebola strain, which existing vaccines and antibody therapies primarily target.

“The current Bundibugyo virus outbreak has no licensed vaccines or approved targeted therapeutics,” the advisory warned.

The NCDC further cautioned healthcare workers against relying solely on visible bleeding as a sign of Ebola, noting that symptoms may initially resemble malaria, Lassa fever, or other common illnesses.

“Health workers must not wait for bleeding before suspecting Ebola in any patient with compatible symptoms and relevant travel or exposure history,” the agency advised.

As part of its emergency response strategy, the NCDC said the National Emergency Operations Centre had already been activated in alert mode to coordinate nationwide preparedness efforts.

State governments were directed to activate emergency preparedness structures, strengthen surveillance at entry points, identify isolation centres, equip frontline health workers with personal protective equipment, and intensify public awareness campaigns to prevent panic and misinformation.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has assured residents that no confirmed or suspected Ebola case has been detected in the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said there was no cause for alarm, adding that Lagos remained on high alert due to its strategic position as Nigeria’s major entry point.

According to him, the state’s bio-security and disease surveillance systems remain fully operational and capable of responding swiftly to any biological threat.

“The Lagos Biosecurity Bio-shield was built to protect and remains ready to respond to biological shocks. Preparedness for us is not a temporary reaction; it is a permanent culture embedded within our health system,” Abayomi stated.

He explained that the state’s preparedness system, first tested during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and later strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic, remains active in managing recurring public health threats such as cholera, diphtheria, and Lassa fever.

Nigeria’s latest Ebola alert has revived memories of the country’s successful containment of the virus during the 2014 outbreak after an infected Liberian-American traveller, Patrick Sawyer, arrived in Lagos and exposed several people before authorities intervened.

At the time, public health experts feared a major outbreak in Lagos due to its dense population and commercial significance. However, swift contact tracing, isolation protocols, emergency coordination, and aggressive public awareness campaigns helped contain the virus within months.

The World Health Organisation later described Nigeria’s response as one of Africa’s most successful Ebola containment efforts.

Health authorities are now urging Nigerians to remain calm, avoid misinformation, maintain proper hygiene practices, and promptly report any suspected symptoms as surveillance and emergency preparedness measures intensify across the country.