NCDC DG: Nigeria only 59% prepared for possible Ebola outbreak

Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr Jide Idris, says Nigeria’s level of preparedness for a possible Ebola outbreak currently stands at 59 percent.

Speaking on Arise TV on Monday, Idris said a recent risk assessment carried out by the agency exposed several gaps in the country’s readiness, particularly at points of entry such as airports and border crossings.

According to him, the assessment was designed to evaluate Nigeria’s preparedness level, identify vulnerabilities, and strengthen mechanisms to prevent the importation of the virus into the country.

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“Our recent latest level of assessment puts us at about 59 percent. But that’s quite variable. You can’t be 100 percent prepared, but the essence is that we keep preparing because things change,” he said.

“To be frank, we are not 100 percent ready, but we are improving our readiness. This is a readiness that has to cover the whole country.”

The NCDC had earlier heightened disease surveillance after fresh Ebola outbreaks were recorded in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The agency warned that Nigeria remains vulnerable because of growing international travel, cross-border movement, and ongoing transmission of the disease in the affected countries.

Idris said officials have been deployed to states to evaluate preparedness and advise authorities on areas requiring urgent attention.

“We sent advisors to state commissioners to do an assessment of readiness, guiding them on what to do. Look at things like infrastructure, isolation centres, public health emergency operation centres, and what kind of stockpiles they have just in case they have these cases,” he said.

He added that the Federal Ministry of Health has already issued protocols for government agencies aimed at tightening checks on international arrivals, especially through airports.

According to him, the risk assessment highlighted the importance of strengthening controls at entry points to prevent the virus from entering Nigeria.

“And very clearly, one area that came out was the point of entry, which is crucial. Because the essence, the objective, is that we should not allow this thing to come into this country,” he said.

Idris noted that states hosting international airports were classified as high-risk locations because they serve as major gateways for incoming travellers.

He also identified Nigeria’s porous land borders as another major concern, stressing that movement through road routes poses a serious surveillance challenge.

“But the biggest one again is our porous borders. Not everybody comes in by air. You have people migrating by road and that kind of thing. These are the scares, and that’s why again it’s essential for us to prepare,” he said.

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The NCDC DG recalled Nigeria’s experience during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, describing it as a critical learning period for the country’s disease response system.

He said support and guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centres for Disease Control helped Nigeria contain the outbreak at the time.

“At the start, nobody knew what the problem was, but again, we learned as we were going along,” he said.

Idris added that Nigeria has since strengthened its laboratory network and emergency response capacity, particularly in facilities connected to international travel.

He further disclosed that the country is currently battling between seven and eight disease outbreaks, including cholera and Lassa fever.