Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and identified 44 contacts as health authorities intensify efforts to prevent further transmission.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the development on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the infection in a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda.
According to the minister, the woman was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed. She 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), and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are coordinating the response, including contact tracing, surveillance and measures to strengthen infection prevention and control.
Public health teams have begun monitoring the 44 identified contacts while working to locate other potentially exposed individuals, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and people who travelled on the same flight.
The government has also directed public and private hospitals nationwide to remain vigilant, promptly identify and isolate suspected Ebola cases, enforce strict infection prevention protocols and immediately report suspected infections to the relevant health authorities.
Nigerians have been advised to observe preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of anyone suspected of having the disease. Symptoms to watch for include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly among people who may have been exposed to the virus.
“Anyone who develops symptoms should avoid close contact with others and call public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility,” the government advised. People contacted during the tracing exercise, including potentially exposed airline passengers, have also been urged to provide accurate information and follow official instructions.
The confirmation follows earlier concerns about the risk of Ebola entering Nigeria amid an evolving regional outbreak. In an advisory issued on October 6, the NCDC highlighted the risk of imported infection following a confirmed case in Kenya linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The World Health Organisation says Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of infected people, as well as contaminated objects and surfaces. Infected individuals do not transmit the virus before symptoms appear, and the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Nigeria previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller introduced the virus into the country. The response relied on rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.
Pate said Nigeria had the experience and public health systems needed to respond to the current case, while emphasising the importance of public cooperation in preventing further transmission. The government said investigations were continuing and that the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease and the NCDC would provide further updates.
Members of the public can contact the NCDC’s toll-free call centre on 6232, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for information or to report a suspected Ebola case.
