The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved a weekly allowance of ₦100,000 for individuals quarantined after potentially coming into contact with Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The agency’s Director-General, Jide Idris, announced the measure during a media briefing in Abuja on Sunday, explaining that it was introduced after some contacts raised concerns about their inability to manage their businesses and meet family obligations while in quarantine.
According to Idris, the NCDC is already paying for accommodation and meals for individuals staying in designated quarantine facilities. However, the additional financial assistance is intended to reduce the burden on those unable to earn income or attend to their families during the monitoring period.
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“We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding. Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families,” he said.
He added that the agency had decided to provide ₦100,000 per person weekly to help address the concerns raised by those affected.
Idris described the allowance as an emergency intervention that had not been included in the agency’s initial spending plans, noting that its implementation would be reviewed as the situation develops.
He also emphasised that state governments have a responsibility to provide the funding, facilities and other resources needed to manage contacts during public health emergencies.
NCDC Identifies 53 Primary Contacts
The NCDC director-general disclosed that health authorities had identified 53 primary contacts associated with Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case in the FCT.
He said 44 of the contacts were linked to the health facility where the patient received treatment, while nine others had been identified through further investigations.
The additional contacts reportedly include the patient’s husband, driver and chef, three healthcare workers who treated her at another clinic, and three personnel involved in collecting samples.
Idris explained that public health officials had documented the identified contacts and classified them according to their exposure levels. Monitoring activities are ongoing to detect any symptoms that could indicate infection.
He added that investigators were working to identify secondary contacts by determining the people who may have interacted with those already listed.
Depending on individual exposure levels and risk assessments, some contacts are being monitored in designated facilities, while others may be allowed to undergo quarantine at home.
The monitoring period is expected to last 21 days from each individual’s last possible exposure, consistent with the recognised incubation period for Ebola.
Idris stressed that being identified as a contact does not automatically mean a person is infected with the virus. Rather, contact tracing allows health officials to monitor individuals and identify potential infections as early as possible.
NCDC Strengthens Infection Prevention Measures
As part of efforts to limit the spread of the disease, Idris said locations associated with the confirmed patient and her husband had undergone disinfection.
He explained that additional disinfection exercises would be conducted at other locations considered relevant to the outbreak response.
The agency is also providing infection prevention and control training for healthcare workers and contact-tracing teams. Standard operating procedures have been distributed to healthcare facilities and state governments to guide their response activities.
Idris further disclosed that the NCDC was replenishing its supplies of personal protective equipment, while the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) was distributing laboratory reagents to support diagnostic testing.
He said the agency had also updated its Ebola case definition to improve the identification of suspected infections, including through surveillance activities within communities.
Under the revised guidance, individuals experiencing persistent fever that does not respond to treatment for common causes of fever, as well as those showing warning signs such as unexplained bleeding or bloody diarrhoea, are advised to seek medical attention without delay.
Healthcare workers were also urged to report suspected cases promptly and follow the appropriate safety procedures without waiting for laboratory test results.
Idris appealed to Nigerians to cooperate with public health officials and refrain from circulating unverified information that could hinder efforts to control the outbreak.
Nigeria’s Ebola Case and Possible Connection to Kenya
Nigeria confirmed an imported Ebola case in the FCT on October 20, 2026, marking the country’s first confirmed case since the 2014 outbreak.
The patient is a 42-year-old Ugandan-born woman who resides in Abuja and recently returned from a holiday in Kampala, Uganda.
According to the Africa CDC, she arrived in Nigeria on October 3 and began experiencing symptoms three days later.
On Friday, Nigerian authorities disclosed that genomic analysis had revealed a high degree of similarity between the virus detected in the Nigerian patient and the one identified in Kenya’s first imported Ebola case.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, clarified that the genetic similarity did not establish that the Nigerian patient contracted the virus in Kenya. He said there was no evidence that she had travelled to the country.
The Africa CDC had previously announced that it was investigating a possible connection between the two cases because both patients reportedly passed through Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport on October 3.
Kenya’s first confirmed case was imported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through Uganda. The country has subsequently recorded nine confirmed cases, including two deaths, with the eight additional infections linked to the initial patient.
Health authorities continue to strengthen surveillance, contact tracing and infection prevention measures as investigations into the possible links between the cases proceed.
