The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says the Federal Government released N10 billion to strengthen Nigeria’s broader health security system, not exclusively for Ebola preparedness, amid public debate.

The Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, clarifying concerns surrounding the allocation amid public discussions about Nigeria’s Ebola response.

Idris explained that the funding request covered prevention, preparedness, early detection and rapid response to several public health threats, including Ebola, Lassa fever, cholera and meningitis, among other diseases.

Others include diphtheria, measles, Mpox and antimicrobial resistance, which he said had historically contributed significantly to illness and deaths across the country, placing considerable pressure on Nigeria’s healthcare system.

He clarified that the N10 billion was released directly to NCDC, not the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President.

He said that the task force was established primarily to coordinate the national response, while the allocation was intended to address wider national health security needs beyond Ebola preparedness.

Idris said the N10 billion remained inadequate, considering the scale of investment required to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond effectively to public health emergencies nationwide.

He explained that Nigeria’s National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) 2.0, covering 2025 to 2029, required approximately N522 billion for implementation over five years across multiple sectors.

The plan, he said, translated to an average annual requirement of N104.4 billion, although not all its activities were funded through NCDC or its available government allocations.

He said that the N10 billion represented about two per cent of the plan’s average annual cost, underscoring the funding gap confronting Nigeria’s health security system and preparedness efforts.

Idris said NAPHS 2.0 adopted a multisectoral, One Health approach, bringing together government ministries, departments and agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders nationwide.

He explained that the plan followed the expiration of Nigeria’s first National Action Plan for Health Security, under which inadequate funding had remained a major implementation constraint for years.

The NCDC director-general said Nigeria needed sustainable domestic and external funding to strengthen preparedness and prevent outbreaks from escalating into national emergencies, threatening lives and livelihoods across communities.

He urged policymakers, the media and development partners to support adequate and accountable investment in NCDC and the country’s wider health security system to improve emergency preparedness.

Idris said Nigeria had responded to its first imported Ebola case with vigilance and precaution, emphasising that the situation did not warrant public panic or unnecessary alarm.

He said the Bundibugyo Ebola case was confirmed in NCDC’s laboratory on Oct. 20, 2026, within 24 hours of receiving the alert in Abuja, demonstrating rapid laboratory response.

He added that all identified contacts were under daily monitoring, while Nigeria currently had no active Ebola case following the management of the imported infection and associated response measures.

However, 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 during surveillance.

Idris emphasised that the country was not yet out of the woods, assuring Nigerians that NCDC would continue providing updates on the evolving situation through official communication channels.

He said the current epidemiological situation did not warrant postponing elections, banning campaigns or mass gatherings, or imposing travel restrictions on Nigerians and international visitors at present.

According to him, NCDC has not recommended such measures but has developed technical guidelines for organisers of mass gatherings to ensure compliance with infection prevention and control protocols.

He said events could proceed safely with strict adherence to established safety measures, adding that the agency would revise its recommendations if new evidence warranted changes in guidance.

Idris urged Nigerians to verify information through NCDC’s official communication channels before sharing reports, warning that rumours and misinformation could undermine public trust and response efforts during outbreaks.

On health security financing, he said NCDC’s allocation increased 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 NCDC chief said the additional funding was requested to address epidemic-prone diseases generally, rather than Ebola alone, and complement resources already mobilised from government and development partners.

He said the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board estimated that countries required between one and two dollars per person annually for acceptable epidemic preparedness and effective emergency response capacity.

Based on Nigeria’s estimated population of 240 million, Idris said the country required between 240 million and 480 million dollars annually to achieve adequate preparedness against public health threats.

He called for sustained investment from federal and state governments, as well as development partners, to close the funding gap and strengthen national health security across all sectors.

Idris said health security was one of the four pillars of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, describing sustained financing as essential to achieving its objectives nationwide.

He maintained that preventing outbreaks, deaths and economic disruptions required deliberate investment, urging Nigerians to regard health security as a national responsibility requiring collective commitment and sustained support.

The NCDC director-general assured Nigerians of transparency, accountability and prudent utilisation of resources entrusted to the agency, reaffirming its commitment to protecting public health across the country.(NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru