The Nigerian Senate has called on the Federal Government to provide emergency funding to strengthen disease surveillance and enforce mandatory health screening at all international airports, seaports and designated land borders amid concerns over the spread of Ebola.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Francis Faduyile, who warned that the spread of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus poses a significant threat to Nigeriaโs public health system.
Faduyile noted that the outbreak, which began in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), had spread to other African countries, including Uganda and Kenya, raising concerns about the possibility of infected travellers entering Nigeria through third countries.
He also cited an assessment by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), which identified a high risk of Ebola importation into the country.
The senator recalled that Nigeria recorded an Ebola outbreak in July 2014 after an infected traveller arrived in Lagos, underscoring the need for stronger surveillance and preventive measures at the country’s entry points.
While acknowledging the Federal Government’s existing response measures, including health declaration forms and enhanced screening, the Senate expressed concern that screening requirements had been limited to travellers from selected countries.
According to the lawmakers, the approach could create gaps in Nigeria’s disease surveillance system, particularly as infected travellers could enter the country through transit routes.
The Senate also raised concerns over inadequate staffing and equipment at several entry points, as well as the continued reliance of Port Health Services on the Quarantine Act of 1926.
It warned that Nigeria’s existing public health challenges, including Lassa fever, cholera and diphtheria, made it imperative to strengthen preparedness against another major epidemic.
Consequently, the Senate urged the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the NCDC and Port Health Services to make health screening compulsory for all international arrivals, regardless of nationality or country of departure.
The proposed measures include health declaration forms, temperature checks and symptom assessments for all arriving passengers.
Travellers who have visited or transited through affected areas within the preceding 21 days would be subjected to enhanced screening.
The lawmakers also called for exit screening of departing passengers during declared public health emergencies.
To improve implementation, the Senate urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigeria Immigration Service to ensure that all entry points have adequate numbers of trained Port Health officers, thermal scanners, protective equipment and isolation facilities.
It further called on the Federal Government to ensure that isolation and treatment centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory are adequately equipped and prepared to respond to potential outbreaks.
On legislative reforms, the Senate advocated replacing the Quarantine Act of 1926 with a modern public health law aligned with the International Health Regulations of 2005.
The upper chamber also urged the ministries responsible for finance, budget and economic planning to provide adequate funding for the NCDC and Port Health Services in the 2027 budget and release outstanding funds to support disease surveillance and emergency preparedness.
Precautive measures are aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to detect and contain imported cases of Ebola and other epidemic prone diseases before they spread within the country.
