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The Federal Government has confirmed one case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), triggering an emergency public health response to contain the infection and prevent further spread.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the case.
According to the statement, the patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda.
She was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed.
The woman is currently in isolation and receiving medical care.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other relevant authorities are coordinating efforts to contain the outbreak.
The government said contact tracing had commenced, with 44 close contacts identified so far. Public health teams are working to identify and monitor people who may have been exposed, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
Surveillance has also been intensified, while the hospital where the patient received treatment is receiving immediate support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The Federal Government has urged public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain on high alert, directing healthcare workers to promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, maintain strict infection prevention measures and immediately report suspected infections to public health authorities.
How Ebola spreads
The government explained that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person who is sick or has died from the disease, as well as contact with contaminated materials.
It emphasised that an infected person cannot transmit the virus before symptoms begin.
Nigerians have been advised to maintain regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with the body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola and watch for symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly after possible exposure.
Anyone who suspects they may have been exposed has been urged to report immediately, even if they feel well.
Those who develop symptoms should avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility.
The government also urged people contacted during the ongoing tracing exercise, including relevant airline passengers, to provide the necessary information and comply with public health instructions.
Citizens were cautioned against spreading unverified information or stigmatising people who may have been exposed to the disease.
FG assures Nigerians of containment efforts
Pate said Nigeria had the experience and public health capacity to respond to the case, citing the country’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014.
However, he stressed that preventing further transmission would require cooperation from the public, healthcare workers and other stakeholders.
He assured Nigerians that the Federal Government, FCT authorities and their partners were working together to protect healthcare workers, patients and the wider population.
Investigations are ongoing, with the government promising further updates through the Presidential Taskforce on Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and the NCDC.
Members of the public can obtain information or report suspected cases through the NCDC’s toll-free helpline, 6232, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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