Precious Nwonu, Enugu
The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with health authorities identifying 44 people who may have been exposed to the infection.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the development in a statement on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the case.
According to the minister, the patient is a woman who recently travelled to Nigeria from Uganda on an international flight. She was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the infection was confirmed.
The woman has since been placed in isolation and is receiving medical attention.
Pate said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and the FCT Health Services Secretariat were collaborating with relevant agencies to contain the infection and prevent further transmission.
He disclosed that contact-tracing teams had begun monitoring the 44 identified contacts while efforts continued to locate other individuals who might have been exposed, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and fellow travellers.
The government has also stepped up disease surveillance and provided immediate support to the hospital where the patient was treated to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
Healthcare facilities nationwide have been directed to remain vigilant, with medical personnel urged to promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention protocols and report any suspected infection to public health authorities without delay.
The minister called on Nigerians to remain calm and follow preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding direct contact with the blood and other body fluids of anyone suspected of having the disease.
He listed fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea among the symptoms requiring attention, particularly in people who may have been exposed to the virus.
Pate advised anyone experiencing such symptoms to minimise contact with others and contact public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility.
He also appealed to individuals contacted during the tracing exercise, including airline passengers who may have been exposed, to cooperate with health officials and provide the information needed to assess their risk.
The development comes amid an ongoing regional Ebola threat. In an advisory issued on October 6, the NCDC warned of the possibility of importing the infection following a confirmed case in Kenya linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The World Health Organisation states that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of infected people, as well as contaminated objects and surfaces. Infected individuals do not transmit the virus before symptoms appear, while the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Nigeria previously recorded an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller introduced the virus into the country. Authorities contained the outbreak through case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.
Reassuring the public, Pate said Nigeria had the experience and public health structures needed to respond to the confirmed case. However, he emphasised that public cooperation would be essential to preventing further spread.
The Federal Government said investigations were continuing, adding that the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease and the NCDC would provide further updates as the situation develops.
Members of the public seeking information or wishing to report a suspected case can contact the NCDC’s toll-free call centre on 6232, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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