Ebola Returns To Nigeria As FG Confirms Case In Abuja, Places 44 Contacts Under Watch
Fear has returned to Nigeria’s health sector as the Federal Government on Tuesday confirmed a fresh case of Ebola Virus Disease in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The confirmation was contained in a statement issued by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, on October 20, 2026, after laboratory tests returned positive.
According to the Minister, the infected person is a woman who recently arrived in the country aboard an international flight from Uganda. She was said to have been admitted to a private hospital within the FCT where she received treatment for several days before her samples were taken and confirmed to be Ebola.
She has since been moved into isolation where she is currently receiving medical care under strict supervision.
Following the development, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the FCT Health Services Secretariat, has activated its emergency response mechanism to contain the spread.
As part of immediate containment efforts, health officials have identified 44 close contacts of the patient who are now under surveillance. The contacts, which include health workers who attended to her, other patients, caregivers and travel contacts, are being traced and monitored, while efforts are ongoing to identify more persons who may have been exposed.
The Ministry also disclosed that surveillance has been heightened across the country and that the private facility where the woman was initially treated is receiving support to strengthen its infection prevention and control measures.
In the wake of the outbreak, government has directed all public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain on high alert. Health workers were instructed to maintain a high level of suspicion for Ebola, promptly isolate any suspected case, strictly adhere to infection prevention protocols and report immediately to relevant authorities.
While urging Nigerians to remain calm, Professor Pate advised the public to take preventive measures seriously, including regular hand washing and avoidance of contact with blood or other body fluids of anyone suspected to be infected. He listed symptoms to watch out for as fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly among individuals with a history of exposure.
He further advised that anyone who develops such symptoms should avoid close contact with others and call public health authorities for guidance before presenting at any health facility. He also appealed to persons who may be contacted by public health officers, including passengers who were on the same flight with the patient, to cooperate and provide necessary information.
The development comes at a time when the region is grappling with an evolving Ebola outbreak. It would be recalled that on October 6, the NCDC had warned of a possible importation of the disease following a confirmed case in Kenya linked to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The World Health Organisation explains that Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person, or contaminated objects and surfaces, adding that an infected person does not transmit the virus until symptoms develop. The incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Nigeria had previously contained the virus in 2014 after it was introduced into the country by an infected traveller, a feat that earned the nation global commendation for its rapid and coordinated response involving case identification, isolation and contact tracing.
Reassuring citizens, Professor Pate said Nigeria has the experience and public health infrastructure needed to respond effectively to the present situation, but emphasized that preventing further transmission will require the cooperation of all Nigerians.
He noted that investigations are ongoing and that the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease and the NCDC will continue to provide updates to the public. Members of the public can reach the NCDC toll-free on 6232 for information or to report suspected cases.
