The Federal Government has moved to restrict the air travel of 46 people linked to a confirmed Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as aviation authorities step up surveillance at international airports to prevent further transmission.
According to Channels Television, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced the measure on Wednesday, saying he had directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to prevent the identified individuals from boarding flights for at least 21 days.
In a statement published on his verified X account, Keyamo said the list comprised 44 people who had contact with the affected woman at a hospital after she developed symptoms, as well as two members of her domestic staff. The list was provided by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, during a virtual meeting between both officials.
Keyamo explained that the restriction would remain in force during the period in which symptoms of the disease could emerge following exposure. He added that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had been instructed to notify local and international airlines of the directive, while efforts continued to isolate the identified contacts pending confirmation of their infection status.
The minister also ordered tighter Ebola monitoring at international airports, including temperature screening, checks on passengers’ travel histories and digital health declarations. He said FAAN was coordinating with relevant agencies, including the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), to strengthen the existing response system.
Separately, FAAN said it was maintaining heightened vigilance across airport operations and working with the NCDC, Port Health Services, the NCAA and other agencies to support containment efforts. In a statement issued by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, the authority urged passengers and other airport users to remain calm, cooperate with health officials and rely on verified information.
The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats, Femi Gbajabiamila, also assured Nigerians that the government was prepared to manage the situation.
Speaking after an emergency meeting at the State House on Wednesday, Gbajabiamila said surveillance and preparedness measures had been in place since the task force was inaugurated in June. He attributed the identification of the case to established detection procedures and coordination among health agencies.
According to a statement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, Gbajabiamila said the task force would strengthen existing protocols and ensure stricter enforcement, while urging Nigerians to cooperate with public health authorities.
The government confirmed the Ebola case in the FCT on Wednesday. Keyamo’s announcement did not establish whether any of the 46 contacts had tested positive for the virus.
