Nigerian public health authorities have pinpointed 21 out of the country’s 36 states as facing high or moderate risks of Ebola importation. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) highlighted concerns over potential cross-border transmission, particularly due to recent Ebola outbreaks in East and Central Africa. While Nigeria has not yet reported any confirmed cases, the NCDC has classified specific regions as high-risk, including Abuja, Lagos, Rivers, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kano, Borno, Taraba, and Adamawa.
The NCDC also identified Ogun, Ebonyi, Abia, Bayelsa, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Niger, Jigawa, Katsina, and Bauchi states as moderate-risk areas. These regions require increased surveillance and preparedness measures due to their active travel and trade connections with international airports and porous land borders. Jide Idris, the Director General of the NCDC, emphasized the importance of Nigeria enhancing its preparedness efforts following the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) declaration of the Ebola outbreak as a “public health emergency of international concern.”
Idris cautioned that Ebola symptoms can be easily mistaken for those of malaria and Lassa fever, potentially leading to delayed detection and further spread of the disease. Nigeria, with a population exceeding 242 million, stands as Africa’s most populous country and the sixth most populous nation globally. Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the Ebola outbreak in Congo as “very complex,” citing challenges such as conflict, insecurity, displacement, food shortages, and community mistrust hindering containment efforts.
Ghebreyesus, speaking in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, underscored the WHO’s commitment to supporting affected communities amidst the multifaceted crisis.
