Precious Nwonu, Enugu
The Nigerian Senate has urged the Federal Government to release emergency funds to strengthen disease surveillance and introduce compulsory health screening at all international airports, seaports and designated land borders amid concerns over the spread of Ebola.
The upper chamber made the demand while considering a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Francis Faduyile, who warned that the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus posed a potential threat to Nigeria’s public health system.
Faduyile expressed concern over the spread of the outbreak beyond the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), citing reports of infections in other African countries and the possibility of infected travellers entering Nigeria through transit countries.
The senator also recalled Nigeria’s experience in July 2014, when an infected traveller introduced Ebola into Lagos, triggering an outbreak that required an extensive public health response.
Although the Federal Government has introduced health declaration forms and strengthened screening measures at entry points, the Senate expressed concern that existing checks focused on travellers from selected countries, potentially leaving gaps in the country’s disease surveillance system.
Lawmakers also highlighted shortages of trained personnel and screening equipment at some entry points, alongside concerns over the continued reliance on the Quarantine Act of 1926 to guide public health control measures.
The Senate warned that Nigeria’s existing health challenges, including Lassa fever, cholera and diphtheria, made stronger preparedness necessary to prevent another major public health emergency.
It consequently called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and Port Health Services to ensure that all arriving international passengers undergo compulsory health checks, regardless of their nationality or country of departure.
The proposed measures include completing health declaration forms, temperature checks and assessments for symptoms associated with Ebola and other infectious diseases.
The Senate also recommended enhanced screening for travellers who had visited or passed through affected areas within the preceding 21 days, as well as exit screening for departing passengers during declared public health emergencies.
It urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigeria Immigration Service to deploy more trained Port Health officers and provide thermal scanners, protective equipment and isolation facilities at all designated entry points.
The lawmakers further called for adequate preparation of isolation and treatment centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to ensure that suspected and confirmed cases can be managed promptly.
On funding, the Senate urged the Federal Government to draw emergency resources from the service-wide vote to support disease surveillance and border health operations. It also called on the relevant ministries to ensure adequate allocations for the NCDC and Port Health Services in the 2027 budget and release outstanding funds.
The chamber also advocated replacing the Quarantine Act of 1926 with modern public health legislation aligned with the International Health Regulations of 2005.
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