By Abigail David
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining Nigeria’s zero-case status for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) with the inauguration of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness.
The task force was inaugurated on Thursday at the State House in Abuja by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who also chairs the committee.
Gbajabiamila said Nigeria currently has no reported cases of Ebola and stressed that the government’s priority is to sustain that record through preventive measures and strengthened public health systems.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the task force is expected to coordinate national efforts aimed at preventing and responding to any potential Ebola outbreak.
Gbajabiamila said lessons from the 2014 Ebola outbreak had helped Nigeria build stronger surveillance and response mechanisms, adding that the country was now better prepared to tackle emerging public health threats.
“We have covered a lot of ground, and there are presently no reported cases in the country. That is why all hands must be on deck to ensure that preventive measures are prioritised rather than curative measures,” he said.
The Chief of Staff noted that sub-committees had been established to focus on critical areas, including border management, immigration control and disease surveillance, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) providing technical leadership.
He added that the Federal Government was working closely with states that host international airports, including Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Enugu and the Federal Capital Territory, while also strengthening monitoring at land borders due to high cross-border movements.
Gbajabiamila expressed confidence that Nigeria could take a leading role in epidemic preparedness across Africa by building permanent response structures capable of addressing future outbreaks effectively.
The inauguration was attended by senior government officials, public health experts and representatives of international organisations, including the World Health Organization, as part of a coordinated effort to strengthen the country’s health security framework.
