The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says there is no confirmed case of Ebola disease in Nigeria as of 6 October 2026. The agency is reviewing the risk to the country after Kenya confirmed an imported case on the same day.
Dr Jide Idris, the NCDC Director-General, signed the agency’s press statement. It says the Kenyan case involved Ebola caused by Bundibugyo virus. The Kenyan government confirmed it on 6 October.
The case is connected to the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). NCDC says Nigeria has been closely monitoring that outbreak and studying what it could mean for the country.
The agency says the detection in Kenya shows that the disease can be carried from one country to another through travel and the movement of people. It says this includes the possibility of the disease reaching Nigeria.
A patient’s journey
NCDC cited the Kenyan Ministry of Health for details of the case.
A Kenyan patient, who had been living in the DRC, travelled by road from the DRC to Kampala, Uganda. He then flew to Nairobi, where he was isolated and tested positive for Bundibugyo virus.
The statement says he died. Kenyan health authorities have started contact tracing and other response measures. Contact tracing means finding people who may have been near a sick person.
NCDC says it has been working on Nigeria’s readiness since the outbreak was first reported in the DRC. It names the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Port Health Services, state governments and other partners as those it works with.
The work has covered early detection, isolation and referral, laboratory diagnosis, and infection prevention and control. It has also covered contact tracing, risk communication and protection of healthcare workers.
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The agency also held a National Ebola Preparedness Tabletop Simulation exercise. Its purpose was to test response arrangements and find gaps that need attention.
Because of the Kenyan case, NCDC says it is reviewing the risk to Nigeria and the preparedness measures already in place. It says the measures will be adapted and strengthened as necessary, with national and state authorities and partners.
What the public, health workers and travellers should do
NCDC asked Nigerians to stay calm but watchful. It gave the public these instructions:
– Wash hands regularly with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
– Avoid direct contact with the blood or body fluids of anyone who is ill, especially anyone with signs of Ebola.
– Avoid contact with the body of anyone who has died from an unknown illness.
– Do not handle sick or dead wild animals, and do not eat raw or poorly prepared bushmeat.
– Go promptly to a recognised health facility if unwell, especially after recent travel to an affected country or area, or after contact with a suspected or confirmed Ebola patient.
– Give health workers accurate details of any recent travel, particularly to countries reporting Ebola cases, and of any possible contact with a suspected or confirmed patient.
– Rely on information from NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other official public health bodies, and avoid sharing unverified information.
Healthcare workers in public and private facilities were given separate advice. NCDC wants them to stay alert to Ebola when a patient has matching symptoms and has travelled to an affected country or area, or had other relevant exposure, in the previous 21 days.
The agency notes that early signs of Ebola can look like other common illnesses that cause fever. It tells workers not to wait for bleeding before they consider Ebola in such a patient. Standard precautions should be applied to all patients at all times.
If a worker meets a suspected case, NCDC says the patient should be isolated immediately. The worker should apply extra precautions based on how the disease spreads, wear the required protective equipment and tell the relevant public health authorities through the established reporting channels. These precautions should continue until the patient is safely handed over to the designated public health team for assessment, testing and treatment.
Travellers to and from affected areas were also given advice. They should learn the symptoms of Ebola and watch their health for 21 days after leaving an affected area. This applies particularly where they may have been exposed to a suspected or confirmed case.
If symptoms appear, NCDC says travellers should avoid unnecessary contact with others. They should contact the appropriate public health authorities or go to a recognised health facility, and clearly state their travel and possible exposure history.
NCDC says it will keep watching developments in Kenya, the DRC and other affected countries. It will work with national, regional and international partners to assess what they mean for Nigeria.
The agency says Nigeria’s own experience with Ebola shows the importance of early detection and quick response in stopping onward spread. It promises further updates as the regional situation changes.
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