By David Oluwatosin
The Federal Government has approved a weekly payment of ₦100,000 for individuals undergoing isolation or quarantine as Nigeria intensifies efforts to contain an imported Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this on Sunday during a briefing on the country’s response to the outbreak.
Idris said the financial support followed complaints from people identified as contacts of the confirmed case, who expressed concerns about the cost of feeding, accommodation and meeting their families’ needs while complying with public health monitoring requirements.
According to him, the intervention is designed to ease their financial burden and encourage compliance with measures aimed at preventing further transmission of the virus.
“We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding. Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families,” the NCDC chief said.
He added, “We are providing ₦100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding, because they were complaining.”
Idris described the payment as an emergency measure that was not part of the agency’s initial response plan but became necessary because of the circumstances surrounding the outbreak.
“This was not planned for, but it is an emergency. We will continue to review it as we go along,” he said.
The NCDC director-general called on state governments to strengthen their preparedness for public health emergencies, warning that the financial and logistical responsibilities should not rest solely on the FCT administration.
“This is not the responsibility of the FCT alone. What we have to do for the FCT, we have to do for any other state, just in case,” Idris said.
He stressed that state governments must be prepared to provide resources for contact tracing, isolation and other emergency public health interventions within their jurisdictions.
The call comes as health authorities intensify surveillance and monitoring following confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Abuja on October 20.
As of Sunday’s briefing, Nigeria had recorded one confirmed case, while 53 primary contacts had been identified for monitoring.
The contacts include healthcare workers, household members, domestic staff and personnel involved in collecting samples from the infected patient.
Idris said public health teams were assessing the contacts according to their exposure levels and monitoring them for symptoms associated with the virus.
He explained that anyone who develops symptoms would undergo further medical assessment and testing.
The NCDC has also arranged isolation for contacts requiring it and is monitoring them throughout the 21-day incubation period following their last possible exposure.
According to Idris, one contact who reported feeling unwell had tested negative for Ebola, while surveillance and follow-up activities continued.
Beyond contact tracing, the NCDC is strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities to reduce the risk of further transmission.
The agency is also training healthcare workers and supporting the provision of protective equipment and laboratory supplies as part of its emergency response.
The confirmed case involves a woman who travelled from Uganda to Nigeria and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
According to the information provided by health authorities, she developed symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention in Abuja on October 11. The infection was confirmed on October 20.
The World Health Organisation has classified the case as an imported infection, while investigations continue to establish the likely source of exposure.
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The outbreak has also affected the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya, underscoring the importance of cross-border surveillance and the rapid identification of people who may have been exposed to infected individuals.
Idris said the NCDC was applying lessons from Nigeria’s successful containment of the 2014 Ebola outbreak to strengthen the current response.
Nigeria contained that outbreak through measures including prompt case identification, contact tracing, isolation and coordinated public health interventions.
The director-general emphasised that containing the current case would require cooperation among government agencies, healthcare workers, people under monitoring and the wider public.
He urged Nigerians to rely on verified information, avoid spreading rumours and cooperate with health officials carrying out contact tracing and monitoring.
The weekly financial assistance is intended to help people comply with public health requirements without facing additional financial pressure while authorities work to prevent further transmission.
The NCDC said surveillance and follow-up activities would continue as health officials assess contacts and strengthen preparedness measures.
