The Federal Government is considering possible restrictions on flights from Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and South Sudan as part of measures to prevent the spread of Ebola virus into Nigeria.
Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila disclosed this on Thursday, May 28, 2026, after a high-level strategic meeting in Victoria Island, Lagos, to review Nigeria’s Ebola preparedness and response framework. Gbajabiamila said the proposed travel restrictions would be complemented by the isolation of passengers showing symptoms consistent with Ebola infection at the nation’s points of entry.
The meeting brought together key officials including Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) Dr. Jide Idris, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and Lagos State Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi. Gbajabiamila said President Bola Tinubu had been fully briefed on the Ebola situation in the DRC and Uganda and assured Nigerians that the government would take all necessary steps to ensure Nigeria does not record any case.
“We have a health scare, which is Ebola, and we all know what happened the last time. The cases are getting worse, internationally and worldwide, and we don’t want to leave anything to chance,” Gbajabiamila said. He added that other areas reviewed included the possibility of using cargo terminals to process passengers from affected countries and putting protocols in place to deal with suspected cases.
The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, 2026, citing a high risk of spread to neighbouring countries. Port Health Services said advanced screening measures, including temperature checks, health monitoring protocols, and QR code scanners for passenger health declarations, have been intensified at Nigeria’s international airports, with special attention on arrivals from high-risk countries.
