• FG says no evidence of community transmission •15 states yet to update response plans
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Aidoghie Paulinus, Fred Ezeh and Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government has ruled out an immediate ban on conferences and other large public gatherings following Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case, saying there was no evidence of community transmission.
The patient, who arrived in Nigeria without symptoms and developed illness several days later, was improving, while health authorities monitored 44 contacts identified through investigations at hospitals, domestic settings and other locations she had visited.
The government also directed a reduction in visiting foreign delegations, particularly those arriving from or travelling through affected countries, while intensifying contact tracing, border surveillance and public sensitisation.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, said at a briefing in Abuja on Thursday that the patient’s improving condition did not lessen the need for vigilance. He warned that misinformation, public distrust and non-compliance could undermine containment efforts.
At a separate briefing to the National Economic Council (NEC), Pate said 21 states had updated their preparedness and response plans, leaving 15 yet to do so. The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, in a separate statement, challenged former vice president Atiku Abubakar over his criticism of the government’s response and said the N10 billion approved by President Bola Tinubu for the Ebola emergency remained untouched.
Meanwhile, conflicting accounts of the patient’s movements before she arrived in Nigeria have left investigators seeking further information about where she might have contracted the virus.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the travel information supplied to it covered Uganda, while Ugandan authorities maintained that the woman had also visited eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Addressing concerns about restrictions on public activities, Pate said decisions would be guided by scientific evidence and expert advice.
“At this moment, there is no indication that requires us to alter the course of large gatherings that have been planned,” he said.
He said that position could change if new evidence emerged, adding that the immediate task was to contain the confirmed case and prevent transmission beyond those already identified as potentially exposed.
Pate said clinicians had reported encouraging laboratory results, raising hopes of recovery.
“Today, I spoke to the clinicians and I understand that her lab results are showing great improvement and there’s a possibility that she would recover from this,” he said.
He stressed that the improvement did not diminish the need for close monitoring, enforcement of public health measures and sustained preparedness.
Against growing scepticism about the case, Pate said the patient had tested positive on three occasions and warned that dismissing the infection as fabricated could lead people to disregard quarantine or isolation directives.
“The alternative to trusting the experts is a tragedy,” he said, urging Nigerians to rely on credible sources and demand evidence from those circulating unverified claims.
He cited misinformation about polio vaccination as an example of how false narratives could frustrate life-saving interventions and appealed to political leaders not to turn the health emergency into a partisan dispute. “Health has no political party, has no citizenship, has no nationality, has no tribe, no religion. It is a great unifier.”
He urged journalists to report responsibly and avoid amplifying rumours, assuring Nigerians that the government would provide regular updates on established facts, uncertainties and measures being taken to protect the public.
APC tackles Atiku over N10bn fund
The appeal came amid a political dispute over emergency funding and the government’s handling of the case.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, the APC Presidential Campaign Council accused Atiku of using the health situation to ridicule Tinubu and cast doubt on the response without sufficient evidence.
The council took exception to a statement it attributed to the former vice president, which linked the President’s name to Ebola and questioned the handling of the N10 billion emergency allocation.
The council said the allocation, approved in June, had not been spent.
“On accountability, the Atiku camp should note that the N10 billion the President approved for the Ebola emergency in June remains untouched, as the NCDC, FAAN, and other agencies involved in surveillance have been spending other available resources,” it said.
The council defended the surveillance and response arrangements, citing the identification of the patient and tracing of her 44 contacts.
It also rejected an allegation attributed to Atiku that a ministerial briefing was intended to discourage attendance at campaign rallies or voting, describing the allegation as speculative and challenging him to produce verifiable evidence.
“A time like this demands that all Nigerians, including the opposition, rally around the health authorities and professionals, communicate responsibly, avoid rumour-mongering, and follow the protocols advised by the Task Force to ensure Ebola does not become a national epidemic,” the council said.
FG cuts foreign delegations
Daily Sun reported that the government had asked ministries, departments and agencies to reduce visiting delegations as a precaution against further imported infections.
According to the report, the directive covered official visits, exchange programmes and study tours involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, military institutions and security agencies, particularly where participants had travelled through affected countries.
Pate was reported to have contacted his Foreign Affairs counterpart on Wednesday to urge compliance with relevant protocols and a reduction in visiting delegations. Similar messages were reportedly conveyed to other agencies that regularly receive groups from outside Nigeria.
A source familiar with the directive said the precautions extended to visitors whose professional activities or travel history might have taken them through affected areas.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been directed to reduce the volume of delegations they receive,” the source said.
“Aside Foreign Affairs, you know that the military, particularly the National Defence College, and the security agencies have exchange programmes, including study tours or visits. Nigeria is not ready to receive such tours or visits at the moment.”
The source said the directive also affected Wednesday’s visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Johnson Babatunde Kokumo. Pate reportedly sought a reduction in Kokumo’s 16-member delegation.
Pate said surveillance had been strengthened at Nigeria’s points of entry, with Port Health Services directed to ensure that thermal imaging equipment was functional and travellers were assessed under risk-based protocols consistent with international health regulations.
He said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) was coordinating the response with the ministry, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, state governments and international partners, including WHO.
The Presidential Task Force, Nigeria Governors’ Forum and NEC had also been briefed to strengthen coordination.
Pate confirmed that additional resources had been made available to support the NCDC and that genomics expert Christian Happi of Redeemer’s University, Ede, had been invited to assist, including with sequencing the virus.
15 states yet to update response plans
At the NEC briefing, Pate said Nigeria had the institutional capacity to contain the case but needed coordinated preparedness across the states.
He identified surveillance, laboratory testing, essential supplies, personal protective equipment, public communication and inter-agency cooperation as critical to the response.
With 21 states having updated their plans, he urged the remaining 15 to complete the process promptly and strengthen their capacity to respond if the situation deteriorated.
In Kaduna, Health Commissioner Umma Ahmed said the state was strengthening surveillance, early detection and preparedness through its Rapid Response Team, working with the NCDC and other stakeholders.
She directed public and private health facilities, healthcare workers and disease surveillance officers to intensify monitoring and maintain a high index of suspicion.
Ahmed urged residents to remain calm, continue their normal activities and cooperate with officials conducting contact tracing and monitoring.
“Seek immediate medical attention at a recognised health facility if symptoms develop, particularly following possible exposure or travel to an affected area,” she said.
Conflicting accounts trail patient’s travel
The patient’s travel history remained a focus of international investigations after her illness was confirmed in Nigeria.
WHO representative in Nigeria, Pavel Ursu, said the organisation had not received information indicating that she travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The information supplied to WHO did not include travel to another country (other than Uganda),” he said.
WHO said the source of infection remained unknown as investigators reconstructed her movements and possible exposure.
Ugandan health authorities, however, maintained that the patient had visited eastern Congo on business before transiting through Uganda. They said passage through Uganda did not establish where she contracted the virus.
Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Jean Kaseya, called for fuller disclosure to establish the source of exposure.
He said investigators needed to determine whether she visited Congo, travelled outside Kampala or had contact with anyone from Congo, while urging countries to cooperate and avoid politicising the case.
FG orders nationwide sensitisation
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, directed agencies under his ministry to intensify sensitisation and provide verified information in languages communities understood.
The directive covers the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Nigerian Television Authority, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Voice of Nigeria and News Agency of Nigeria.
“The Federal Government is taking every necessary step to contain this case and protect Nigerians. Accurate and timely information is one of our strongest defences,” Idris said in a statement issued by his media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim.
“Our agencies must reach every community, in every language, with clear facts on how Ebola spreads, how to protect ourselves and where to report suspected cases.”
He directed the agencies to work with the health ministry and NCDC, while tasking NOA with mobilising its nationwide offices for grassroots sensitisation involving traditional and religious leaders, community groups and the media.
ACCI warns of business disruptions
The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) called for stronger workplace precautions and public awareness.
Its Director-General, Agabaidu Jideani, warned that disease outbreaks could disrupt trade, supply chains, productivity and livelihoods, urging employers to reinforce hygiene, educate workers and follow official guidance.
He advised anyone who suspected Ebola to contact the NCDC through its official channels before visiting a health facility, allowing appropriate arrangements to be made and reducing transmission risks.
Jideani said protecting public health was essential to sustaining business operations and economic stability, and urged employers and community leaders to support containment efforts.
The Coalition for Renewed Hope, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, James Okoronkwo, commended the NCDC and Pate for isolating the patient, tracing contacts and activating emergency measures.
It also called on the Senate to expedite approval of emergency funding to strengthen screening nationwide.
Hospitals urged to strengthen precautions
Pate urged hospitals, particularly private facilities, to reinforce infection prevention and control, prepare isolation facilities and ensure health workers used appropriate protective equipment when attending to suspected cases.
He advised Nigerians to wash their hands regularly, avoid contact with the blood and other body fluids of suspected patients and promptly report symptoms, particularly where there was a possible exposure history.
Despite the absence of evidence of community transmission, the minister said the government was maintaining containment measures and would adjust its response as new information became available.
The post Ebola: FG rules out ban on large gatherings, cuts foreign delegations appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.