“No Indication To Alter Large Gatherings” — FG Rules Out Ebola Restrictions, Monitors 44 Contacts, Cuts Foreign Delegations

The Federal Government has ruled out an immediate ban on conferences and other large public gatherings following Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case, saying there is currently no evidence of community transmission, even as authorities intensify contact tracing, border surveillance and public sensitisation.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this at a briefing in Abuja on Thursday, saying the patient’s condition was improving while 44 persons identified through investigations at hospitals, homes and other locations she visited remained under monitoring.

The government has also directed a reduction in visiting foreign delegations, particularly those arriving from or travelling through Ebola-affected countries, as part of measures to prevent further imported infections.

Addressing concerns about possible restrictions on public activities, Pate said decisions would continue to be guided by scientific evidence and expert advice.

“At this moment, there is no indication that requires us to alter the course of large gatherings that have been planned,” he said.

He, however, said the position could change if new evidence emerged, stressing that the immediate priority was to contain the confirmed case and prevent transmission beyond persons already identified as potentially exposed.

Pate said clinicians treating the patient had recorded encouraging results.

“Today, I spoke to the clinicians and I understand that her lab results are showing great improvement and there’s a possibility that she would recover from this,” he said.

He cautioned that the patient’s improving condition should not lead to complacency, stressing the need for continued monitoring and adherence to public health measures.

The Minister also addressed scepticism surrounding the diagnosis, saying the patient tested positive on three occasions and warning that misinformation and distrust could undermine containment efforts.

“The alternative to trusting the experts is a tragedy,” he said.

Pate appealed to political leaders and members of the public not to politicise the health emergency.

“Health has no political party, has no citizenship, has no nationality, has no tribe, no religion. It is a great unifier,” he said.

At a separate briefing to the National Economic Council, Pate disclosed that 21 states had updated their Ebola preparedness and response plans, leaving 15 states yet to do so.

He urged the remaining states to urgently strengthen surveillance, laboratory testing, essential supplies, personal protective equipment, public communication and inter-agency cooperation.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council entered the public debate over the government’s handling of the Ebola case, challenging former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over criticisms attributed to him.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, the council said the ₦10 billion approved by President Bola Tinubu for the Ebola emergency in June remained untouched, maintaining that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and other agencies involved in surveillance had been using other available resources.

“On accountability, the Atiku camp should note that the ₦10 billion the President approved for the Ebola emergency in June remains untouched, as the NCDC, FAAN, and other agencies involved in surveillance have been spending other available resources,” the council said.

It also defended the response arrangements, citing the identification of the patient and tracing of her 44 contacts, while urging political actors to avoid spreading unverified claims during the health emergency.

As part of preventive measures, ministries, departments and agencies have been asked to reduce visiting foreign delegations, particularly official visits, exchange programmes and study tours involving persons who have travelled through affected countries.

The directive was said to cover the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, military institutions and security agencies that regularly host international delegations.

Pate also said surveillance had been strengthened at Nigeria’s points of entry, with Port Health Services directed to ensure that thermal imaging equipment remained functional and travellers were assessed through risk-based protocols consistent with international health regulations.

The NCDC is coordinating the national response with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, state governments and international partners, including the World Health Organisation.

The Presidential Task Force, Nigeria Governors’ Forum and NEC have also been briefed, while additional resources have been provided to the NCDC. Genomics expert Christian Happi of Redeemer’s University, Ede, has also been invited to assist with the response, including sequencing of the virus.

Questions, however, remain over the patient’s travel history and where she may have contracted the virus.

WHO representative in Nigeria, Pavel Ursu, said information supplied to the organisation indicated travel to Uganda but did not include a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“The information supplied to WHO did not include travel to another country (other than Uganda),” he said.

Ugandan health authorities, however, maintained that the patient had travelled to eastern Congo on business before transiting through Uganda, while insisting that her passage through Uganda did not establish where the infection occurred.

The Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Jean Kaseya, called for fuller information-sharing to establish whether the patient visited Congo, travelled outside Kampala or had contact with anyone from Congo.

The Federal Government has also ordered a nationwide public sensitisation campaign.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, directed agencies under his ministry, including the National Orientation Agency, Nigerian Television Authority, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Voice of Nigeria and News Agency of Nigeria, to intensify dissemination of verified information in languages understood by communities.

“The Federal Government is taking every necessary step to contain this case and protect Nigerians. Accurate and timely information is one of our strongest defences,” Idris said.

“Our agencies must reach every community, in every language, with clear facts on how Ebola spreads, how to protect ourselves and where to report suspected cases.”

The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry also called for stronger workplace precautions, warning that disease outbreaks could disrupt trade, supply chains, productivity and livelihoods.

Its Director-General, Agabaidu Jideani, urged employers to reinforce hygiene, educate workers and comply with official public health guidance. He also advised persons who suspect Ebola infection to contact the NCDC through official channels before visiting a health facility so that appropriate arrangements could be made to reduce transmission risks.

Pate further urged hospitals, particularly private health facilities, to strengthen infection prevention and control measures, prepare isolation facilities and ensure that healthcare workers use appropriate protective equipment when attending to suspected cases.

He advised Nigerians to wash their hands regularly, avoid contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of suspected patients and promptly report symptoms, especially where there had been possible exposure or travel to an affected area.

Despite the absence of evidence of community transmission, the Minister said the government would maintain containment measures and adjust its response as new information emerged.

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