The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, says the Federal Government’s N10 billion emergency intervention fund is meant to strengthen Nigeria’s overall health security system, and not for Ebola prevention alone.
The Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, said this in Abuja on Monday amid public debate over the allocation and Nigeria’s response to Ebola.
Idris said the funding request covered prevention, preparedness, early detection and rapid response to several public health threats, including Ebola, Lassa fever, cholera, meningitis, diphtheria, measles, Mpox and antimicrobial resistance.
He explained that these diseases had historically contributed significantly to illness and deaths in Nigeria, placing considerable pressure on the country’s healthcare system.
The NCDC chief clarified that the N10 billion was released directly to the agency and not the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President.
He said the task force was established primarily to coordinate the national Ebola response, while the funding was intended to address broader health security needs.
Idris described the N10 billion as inadequate, considering the investment required to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies.
He said the National Action Plan for Health Security 2.0, covering 2025 to 2029, required approximately N522 billion for implementation over five years.
Idris said the plan translates to an average annual requirement of N104.4 billion, although not all its activities are funded through the NCDC or its available government allocations.
He said the N10 billion intervention represented about two per cent of the plan’s average annual funding requirement, highlighting the gap confronting Nigeria’s health security system.
Idris explained that NAPHS 2.0 adopted a multisectoral One Health approach involving government ministries, departments and agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
The plan followed the expiration of Nigeria’s first National Action Plan for Health Security, which faced persistent funding constraints during implementation.
He called for sustainable domestic and external financing to strengthen preparedness and prevent disease outbreaks from escalating into national emergencies that threaten lives and livelihoods.
Idris also urged policymakers, the media and development partners to support adequate and accountable investment in the NCDC and the wider health security system.
Nigeria’s Ebola response
Addressing concerns over the imported Ebola infection, Idris said Nigeria had responded with vigilance and precaution, adding that the situation did not warrant public panic.
He said NCDC’s laboratory confirmed the Bundibugyo Ebola case on Oct. 20, 2026, within 24 hours of receiving the alert in Abuja.
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He said all identified contacts were under daily monitoring, while Nigeria had no active Ebola case following the management of the imported infection and the associated response measures.
He said surveillance would continue until the last identified contact completed the mandatory 21-day monitoring period without developing symptoms or any new case emerging.
Idris cautioned that Nigeria was not yet completely out of danger but assured the public that the agency would continue providing updates through its official communication channels.
He said the prevailing epidemiological situation did not justify postponing elections, banning campaigns or mass gatherings, or imposing travel restrictions on Nigerians and international visitors.
The NCDC, he added, had not recommended such measures but had developed technical guidelines for organisers of mass gatherings to ensure compliance with infection prevention and control protocols.
Idris said events could proceed safely if organisers adhered strictly to the established measures, adding that the agency would revise its guidance if new evidence required a change.
He urged Nigerians to verify information through the NCDC’s official channels before sharing reports, warning that rumours and misinformation could undermine public trust and outbreak response efforts.
NCDC funding and preparedness needs
On health security financing, Idris said the NCDC’s allocation rose from N4 billion in 2024 to N7 billion in 2025, followed by a N5 billion intervention fund.
He added that the 2026 Appropriation provided N22 billion, while President Bola Tinubu approved an additional N10 billion emergency intervention fund in June 2026 to strengthen preparedness.
The director-general said the additional funding was requested to address epidemic-prone diseases generally, rather than Ebola alone, and to complement resources mobilised from government and development partners.
He cited estimates by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board that countries required between one and two dollars per person annually for adequate epidemic preparedness and effective emergency response.
Based on Nigeria’s estimated population of 240 million, Idris said the country needed between 240 million and 480 million dollars annually to achieve an acceptable level of preparedness against public health threats.
He called on federal and state governments, as well as development partners, to sustain investment and help close the funding gap across the country’s health security system.
Idris described health security as one of the four pillars of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, stressing that sustained financing was essential to achieving its objectives.
He said preventing outbreaks, deaths and economic disruptions required deliberate investment, urging Nigerians to regard health security as a shared national responsibility.
The NCDC chief assured Nigerians that the agency would ensure transparency, accountability and prudent utilisation of resources entrusted to it, reaffirming its commitment to protecting public health.
NAN
