The federal government has listed 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as areas at high or moderate risk of Ebola importation following renewed outbreaks in parts of Africa.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) announced the development on Thursday as it placed states nationwide on heightened Ebola preparedness alert over fears of cross-border transmission.
Jide Idris, director-general of the NCDC, said Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case linked to the ongoing outbreak in East and Central Africa, but warned that rising regional transmission has increased the country’s importation risk.
According to the agency, Lagos, the FCT, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, and Adamawa were classified as high-risk states because of international airports, porous borders, and active trade and travel routes.
The NCDC also identified Ogun, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Kogi, Niger, Jigawa, Katsina, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Abia, and Bayelsa as moderate-risk states requiring continuous surveillance and preparedness.
Idris said the classification followed a fresh risk assessment carried out in response to increasing Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
He added that the World Health Organisation’s declaration of the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern highlighted the need for stronger preparedness measures across Nigeria.
“The risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria is high because of international travel, regional population movement, porous borders, and extensive trade networks,” he said.
The agency warned that Ebola symptoms closely resemble those of malaria and Lassa fever, increasing the possibility of delayed detection and wider transmission.
According to the NCDC, authorities in the DRC and Uganda have recorded 1,077 suspected Ebola cases and 247 deaths, with individuals aged between 14 and 45 accounting for the majority of infections.
The agency said the current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or targeted treatments.
Idris stressed that rapid detection, isolation, contact tracing, infection prevention, and supportive care remain essential in containing the disease.
He also explained that Ebola is not airborne and spreads mainly through direct contact with infected blood, body fluids, contaminated surfaces, or infected animals.
The NCDC urged state governments to strengthen surveillance at airports and border points, activate emergency preparedness systems, equip isolation centres, and provide adequate protection for frontline health workers.
States were also directed to submit readiness reports within 72 hours and immediately report any suspected Ebola case, unusual fever outbreak, or high-risk exposure incident.
Nigeria previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected Liberian-American traveller arrived in Lagos, triggering one of the country’s most significant public health emergencies.