RismadarVoice Reporters
October 22, 2026
The Nigerian Senate has called on the Federal Government to urgently release emergency funds and enforce compulsory health screening at all international airports, seaports and designated land borders to prevent the spread of Ebola and other infectious diseases.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance considered during plenary on Wednesday, October 21, amid concerns over Nigeria’s preparedness to contain the disease.
The motion, sponsored by Senator Francis Faduyile, representing Ondo South Senatorial District, highlighted the risks associated with the movement of infected persons across international borders.
The lawmakers urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and Port Health Services to strengthen surveillance at all entry points.
Under the proposed measures, international passengers would be required to complete health declaration forms, undergo temperature checks and participate in symptom screening, regardless of nationality or country of departure.
Travellers who had visited or transited through affected countries within the preceding 21 days would also undergo enhanced screening.
The Senate recommended exit screening for departing passengers during declared public health emergencies.
It further urged the Federal Government to release emergency funding from the Service-Wide Votes to support disease surveillance, laboratory services and other response activities.
Lawmakers called for adequate staffing and equipment at border facilities, including trained Port Health officers, thermal scanners, protective equipment and isolation rooms.
They also demanded improved readiness of isolation and treatment centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Presenting the motion, Faduyile recalled Nigeria’s 2014 Ebola outbreak, which began when an infected traveller arrived in Lagos.
He warned that gaps in border surveillance could undermine efforts to detect imported infections early.
The Senate also advocated replacing the Quarantine Act of 1926 with modern public health legislation aligned with the International Health Regulations.
The resolutions followed confirmation of an imported Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease case in Abuja on October 20.
According to the World Health Organisation, the patient is a woman with a recent travel history to Uganda who developed symptoms on October 7 and subsequently received medical attention in Abuja.
Laboratory testing confirmed the infection on October 20.
Health authorities identified 44 contacts for monitoring while investigations continued to establish the patient’s exposure history.
The Senate urged relevant government agencies to intensify preventive measures and ensure that sufficient resources were available to respond to possible infections.
The lawmakers maintained that early detection, public awareness and coordinated health surveillance would be essential to limiting the risk of further transmission.
