NCDC warns Nigeria faces high risk of Ebola importation from DRC and Uganda outbreaks
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) issued a statement on Sunday, May 23, 2026, warning that Nigeria faces a high risk of importing Ebola virus disease due to ongoing outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The agency cited heightened regional transmission, increased international travel, cross-border population movement, uncertainty about the outbreak's full magnitude, and symptom overlap with endemic diseases like malaria and Lassa fever as factors driving the high threat assessment.
NCDC said several states near land borders, major transport corridors, and international entry points have been identified as vulnerable. In response, the national Emergency Operations Centre has been placed on alert mode, the incident management system activated, and laboratories at international points of entry are on standby with strengthened sample collection and transportation systems. Rapid response teams are on alert for deployment, and the agency retains critical expertise from past Ebola and viral haemorrhagic fever responses.
To combat misinformation, NCDC has intensified public communication campaigns, expanded social listening and rumour management, and distributed Ebola Myths and Facts materials. No confirmed cases have been reported in Nigeria so far.
Will you monitor official NCDC updates and practice preventive hygiene, or rely on unverified rumors about Ebola?