Ebola scare: Nigerian government ramps up border checks

Nigerian government has stepped up screening and surveillance at all entry points following the resurgence of Ebola Virus Disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Director of Port Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Akpan Nse, confirmed the measures  on Friday, noting that more health officers had been deployed to strengthen border monitoring.

Health officials in the DRC declared an outbreak in Kasai Province, where, as of September 5, 2025, 28 suspected cases and 16 deaths, including four health workers  had been recorded.

The new outbreak comes as several countries in Central and West Africa struggle with overlapping crises such as cholera, malnutrition, and mass displacement. The DRC last battled Ebola in April 2022 in Equateur Province, a flare-up that was brought under control within three months. Kasai itself previously experienced outbreaks in 2007 and 2008. Since the disease was first identified in 1976, the country has faced 15 outbreaks.

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Ebola is a rare but often fatal illness transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals such as fruit bats, and spreads between people through bodily fluids, contaminated objects, or handling the body of a victim. Tests carried out on September 3 at the National Institute of Biomedical Research in Kinshasa confirmed the current outbreak as Ebola Zaire, a known strain of the virus.

Dr. Nse explained that Nigeria was at risk due to frequent travel between both countries, but insisted that Port Health Services had reinforced its defenses.

He said, “We have intensified surveillance at all points of entry across the country—airports, land borders, and seaports. Every inbound traveller coming from Congo to Nigeria is thoroughly screened, and we collect their medical history through mandatory forms.

“We have also reactivated our portals. Every passenger on every flight coming to Nigeria from Congo is screened upon arrival. This applies to airports, seaports, and land borders. Even if passengers transit through Congo on their way to Nigeria, they must undergo screening.

“In addition, with support from WHO, we have recruited more staff to enhance surveillance. Increasing the workforce allows us to effectively prevent the importation of the virus and ensure thorough screening at all borders.”

He added that private partners were assisting the government to keep thermal scanners at airports functional.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization announced it had released $500,000 from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to aid the DRC response. WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told journalists that 28 suspected cases and 16 deaths had been reported, including four health workers.

“We’re joining rapid response teams to trace contacts and find cases; we’re collecting and testing samples, and we’re providing technical expertise in surveillance, infection prevention and control, treatment, risk communication, and more,” he said. “WHO has also delivered personal protective equipment, laboratory equipment, medical supplies, and a mobile laboratory.

“We had previously prepositioned 2,000 doses of Ebola vaccine in Kinshasa, which we are releasing to vaccinate contacts and health workers. This is the 16th outbreak of Ebola in the DRC, and the government has rich experience from those previous outbreaks.”

Infectious disease specialists have warned Nigeria not to lower its guard.
Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases and Genomics at Adeleke University, Osun State, Oladipo Kolawole, urged tighter coordination among health agencies.

“Everybody coming into the country, especially from DR Congo, must declare where they are coming from at the point of entry, and we must keep our surveillance system well-tightened,” he said.

He expressed confidence in Nigeria’s preparedness, citing existing structures at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Nigeria Institute for Medical Research.

Similarly, Dr. Moses Adewumi of the Department of Virology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, stressed the need to enforce entry-point checks and early detection.“We can’t stop people from travelling, but we need to ensure that surveillance is tightened,” he said.

Adewumi added, “We must be deliberate about monitoring points of entry, especially airports and land borders, so that no suspected case slips through undetected. Early detection is the key to prevention.”

Dr. Iorhen Akase, who heads the Infectious Diseases Unit at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, pointed out that Ebola is only contagious when symptoms are present, but still urged strong community vigilance.“The government should monitor the borders closely for somebody who’s already symptomatic is something the government is doing, I’m aware, with all the scanners they have,” he said.

He added that communities also play a role: “If you have somebody in your community who is ill, let them go to the hospital. Anybody who is symptomatic, let them just go to the hospital to be checked.”

(PUNCH)