President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Special Presidential Committee on Preparedness Against Ebola and Other Public Health Threats, and has ordered the release of 10 billion naira for emergency preparations.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the President's media and strategy adviser, Bayo Onanuga, the funds will help strengthen the readiness of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and efforts to address any urgent public health threats.
The new committee will be headed by the President's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and will include representatives from various ministries, agencies and government institutions, as well as state representatives.
The move follows the recent resurgence of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
President Tinubu approved the establishment of the committee after a meeting of stakeholders led by the Chief of Staff to assess Nigeria's preparedness plans and strategies to prevent the disease from entering the country.
Among the meeting's participants were representatives from the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the Lagos State government.
The President also directed all states with international airports and major land borders to present their plans, funding requirements, and needed support to implement protective measures collaboratively.
Among the measures announced to be taken are increased passenger screening at all international airports, including temperature checks and managing the flow of people entering and exiting.
Surveillance will also be stepped up for passengers arriving via airlines designated by the government as high-risk, including Air Uganda, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.
The government said isolation centres and holding areas for suspected cases will be urgently established at Lagos and Abuja airports, before later expanding the system to other airports across the country.
Other measures include mandating the completion of passenger health forms via QR code before arrival in the country if they depart from or transit through designated high-risk countries, as well as disinfecting terminals, cargo areas and other sections of airports.
President Tinubu also directed the committee to engage with security, diplomatic and aviation authorities on the possibility of additional measures concerning flight operations from countries where the disease has emerged or that are on the high-risk list.
Furthermore, the committee will examine the possibility of designating specific airports or special terminals to receive flights considered high-risk, along with adjusting landing times of certain flights to reduce mixing between passengers expected to require additional screening and other travellers.