The Nigerian government has approved the immediate release of N10 billion in emergency intervention funding to strengthen the country’s preparedness against Ebola and other emerging public health threats as a rapidly spreading outbreak continues to raise alarm across Central and East Africa.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu authorized the intervention amid growing concerns over the worsening Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and imported cases reported in Uganda, prompting fears of wider regional transmission.
The decision was announced by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, who said the President also approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats to coordinate Nigeria’s readiness and response efforts.
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The funding is expected to strengthen the operational capacity of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and support critical national public health emergency activities, including disease surveillance, laboratory testing, border screening, rapid-response deployment, and healthcare worker training.
Nigeria’s intervention comes as health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo battle one of the fastest-growing Ebola outbreaks in recent history. Congolese officials recently reported that confirmed Ebola infections surged from 121 to 225 cases within just two days, underscoring the speed at which the virus is spreading through affected communities in Ituri Province.
The outbreak has already claimed at least 131 lives in eastern Congo, while Uganda has confirmed imported cases linked to travellers from the affected region, including one fatality. Although Rwanda has not officially recorded confirmed Ebola cases, authorities there have intensified surveillance and preparedness measures because of the country’s proximity to eastern Congo and the heavy movement of people and goods across shared borders.
The growing epidemic prompted Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, to visit Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province and the epicentre of the outbreak.
During the visit, Tedros urged local communities to take the lead in combating the disease, warning that the outbreak was spreading rapidly and required the active participation of affected populations to contain transmission.
The WHO has designated the epidemic a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, its highest level of global health alert, citing concerns over the accelerating spread of the virus and the potential for cross-border transmission.
Adding to the challenge facing health authorities is the fact that the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rare but dangerous variant for which there is currently no approved vaccine or targeted treatment.
Medical humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has described the epidemic as one of the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreaks ever recorded, warning that transmission is outpacing response efforts in some areas.
The Bundibugyo virus is one of three Ebola virus species responsible for most major human outbreaks. The deadliest strain, Zaire Ebola virus, caused the devastating West African epidemic between 2014 and 2016, infecting more than 28,000 people and killing over 11,000 across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Health experts say the current outbreak presents a serious regional threat because of ongoing conflict, population displacement, and fragile healthcare systems in eastern Congo. These conditions have complicated efforts to identify infections, trace contacts, and deliver medical assistance to affected communities.
In response, several African countries have heightened emergency preparedness measures despite recording no confirmed infections. Governments across East, Central, and Southern Africa have strengthened border surveillance, established isolation facilities, trained health workers, and enhanced disease monitoring systems to prevent the virus from spreading further.
Nigeria’s decision to release emergency funding reflects lessons learned from its successful containment of Ebola in 2014, when swift action by health authorities prevented widespread transmission following the arrival of an infected traveller in Lagos.
Public health analysts say the creation of a Presidential Task Force and the release of N10 billion for emergency preparedness demonstrate Nigeria’s determination to remain ahead of potential threats while supporting broader continental efforts to prevent another major Ebola catastrophe.
As health authorities race to contain the epidemic in eastern Congo and prevent its spread across Africa, the Nigerian government’s intervention highlights growing concern that the current outbreak could evolve into a wider regional crisis if vigilance and preparedness measures are not sustained.