Health
Nigeria inaugurates presidential task force on Ebola preparedness
The federal government has inaugurated a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness as part of efforts to sustain Nigeria’s zero-case status and strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to potential outbreaks.
Speaking at the inauguration on Thursday at the State House, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who chairs the task force, said there were currently no reported cases of Ebola in Nigeria.
Mr Gbajabiamila said the government was intensifying preventive measures to ensure the country remains free of the disease while positioning itself to take a leading role in epidemic preparedness and response across Africa.
“We inaugurated the committee today on Nigeria’s preparedness for the Ebola Virus Disease. We have covered a lot of ground, and there are presently no reported cases in the country, which is good news,” he said.
He stressed that Nigeria’s approach is centred on prevention rather than cure, noting that lessons from previous outbreaks, particularly the 2014 Ebola outbreak, have informed the development of stronger surveillance and response systems.
Focus on prevention
Mr Gbajabiamila said the government was determined to avoid a repeat of the events of 2014, when an infected traveller brought the virus into Nigeria, triggering an emergency public health response.
According to him, the task force has established structures and subcommittees to address critical areas of preparedness and response.
“We do not want a repeat of what happened during the last outbreak when a carrier entered the country, and everyone was scrambling to respond,” he said.
He added that the government was building permanent systems that would remain effective even years after the current threat had passed.
“We want to put in place permanent arrangements and structures so that in two or three years, if another outbreak occurs, we will not be running from pillar to post trying to establish response mechanisms,” he said.
Surveillance, coordination
Mr Gbajabiamila said special attention was being given to international airports and land borders because of the high volume of cross-border movements.
He noted that the federal government was working closely with states hosting international airports, including Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Enugu and the Federal Capital Territory, to strengthen monitoring and rapid-response mechanisms.
Mr Gbajabiamila said agencies responsible for border management and immigration, as well as border communities, had been incorporated into the preparedness framework.
He explained that the task force includes committees on border management, immigration control and disease surveillance, while the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) will provide overall technical leadership and coordination.
Key stakeholders
The inauguration brought together senior government officials and public health experts, including the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; and the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris.
Others in attendance included representatives of state health ministries, the World Health Organisation (WHO), airport authorities, epidemiologists and public health organisations.
Background
The inauguration comes about a week after President Bola Tinubu approved the establishment of the Task Force and authorised the release of N10 billion in emergency intervention funding to strengthen Nigeria’s readiness against a possible outbreak.
As PREMIUM TIMES previously reported, the fund is intended to bolster the operational capacity of the NCDC and support critical public health emergency response activities across the country.
The Task Force, chaired by Mr Gbajabiamila, was created following a high-level stakeholder meeting that reviewed Nigeria’s preparedness and developed strategies to prevent the importation of Ebola into the country.
The federal government’s actions followed renewed Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, prompting concerns about the risk of cross-border transmission.
Authorities subsequently announced plans to strengthen surveillance at airports and land borders, activate isolation and referral facilities, and improve coordination among health, aviation and security agencies.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it intercepted tankers of suspected smuggled vegetable oil and a truckload of soap that entered the country illegally.
NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, disclosed this during a news conference held in Lagos on Friday.
Mr Iluyomade said the smuggled products were brought in through illegal land borders.
He said the seizures were part of ongoing efforts to curb economic sabotage and protect consumers and the nation’s overall health.
He said the three 66,000-litre capacity tankers were smuggled into the country from Ghana with altered plate numbers, adding that investigations are ongoing to ascertain the content of the purported oil and street value.
The director added that the truckload of soap contained 40,000 cartons with an estimated street value of N500 million.
He said: “Smugglers have adopted various tactics to evade detection, including changing vehicle registration numbers and disguising prohibited imports as legitimate cargo.
“We have observed increasing smuggling activities along the land border corridors.
“Some of these trucks claim to be carrying vegetable oil, but investigations revealed that the products are imported through prohibited channels.
“NAFDAC is concerned about the health risks associated with smuggled goods because they often bypass regulatory inspections and certification processes,” he said.
According to him, imported vegetable oil and certain other products are on the federal government’s list of restricted items designed to encourage local production and create employment opportunities for Nigerians.
Mr Iluyomade disclosed that five individuals arrested in connection with the seizures are currently in custody and undergoing further investigation.
He said the agency would continue to work with security agencies to intensify surveillance along land borders to prevent the illegal importation of prohibited goods into the country.
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The director reiterated the government’s directive that trucks transporting edible oils be clearly marked and dedicated solely to that purpose.
He said enforcement of the directive had commenced, warning that any truck found violating the regulation would be impounded.
(NAN)
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State branch, has raised a concern about the ongoing three-day warning strike by resident doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), stating that it may trigger broader disruptions in the Lagos healthcare system if unresolved welfare issues persist.
The strike, now in its second day, followed a resolution by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) of LASUTH at its 19th Ordinary General Meeting and Scientific Conference, where members voted to withdraw services over long-standing, unaddressed welfare concerns.
According to a report by Channels Television, the association said the decision followed repeated engagements and ultimatums that failed to produce concrete action from the state government.
The president of the association, Alaba Akirele, said the government had failed to respond adequately despite sustained engagements with stakeholders, warning that further industrial action remained possible if the situation did not improve.
Following deliberations, the congress demanded the immediate resumption of construction of the Resident Doctors’ Quarters at LASUTH, urgent implementation of the revised professional allowance structure for doctors in Lagos State, and payment of specialist allowances to eligible Senior Registrar doctors.
The association also confirmed that the warning strike would run for three days, from Monday night, 15 June, to Friday, 19 June, and cautioned that continued inaction could escalate the dispute.
More details
In a statement reported by The Punch newspaper on Thursday, the NMA Lagos Chairman, Ewonowo Sunday, described the situation as “deeply unfortunate but avoidable,” blaming prolonged delays in negotiations between the state government and the doctors for the breakdown in industrial harmony.
Mr Sunday said the association viewed the development with deep concern, noting that strike action, though a last resort, often becomes inevitable when sustained dialogue fails.
“We view this development with deep concern. Regrettably, this crisis was avoidable if all concerned stakeholders had been more proactive and responsive in addressing the legitimate concerns raised by the resident doctors,” he said.
Grievances
The NMA outlined several unresolved issues at the centre of the dispute, including delayed implementation of revised professional allowances, unpaid promotion arrears, and weak welfare support for medical trainees.
It also cited infrastructural and institutional concerns, such as the completion of the Resident Doctors’ Quarters and Residency Training Centre at LASUTH, the payment of specialist allowances to eligible senior registrars, and the settlement of outstanding promotion arrears.
Other demands include approval and release of the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), payment of teaching allowances to registrars and house officers, and strengthened security measures for healthcare workers and patients within LASUTH and across Lagos State health facilities.
Wider health system impact
The association warned that the LASUTH dispute reflects a pattern of unresolved welfare issues affecting resident doctors across Nigeria’s health system.
It noted that similar tensions have been reported at other tertiary hospitals, including the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), where doctors have raised concerns over working conditions and welfare provisions.
The NMA also referenced the wider national context, including a 21-day ultimatum issued by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to the federal government over unpaid allowances, residency funding, and related entitlements.
According to the association, the recurrence of such disputes points to a systemic challenge that, if left unaddressed, could trigger coordinated industrial action across the country’s health sector.
The NMA urged the Lagos State government, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and hospital management authorities to urgently intervene to prevent further escalation of the dispute.
It stressed that sustained delays in addressing welfare concerns risk weakening healthcare delivery and lowering morale among medical professionals.
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The association added that adequate welfare support for health workers remains critical to sustaining quality healthcare services for patients.
Appeal for calm and dialogue
Despite its warnings, the NMA Lagos leadership called on resident doctors to remain calm and professional while discussions continue with relevant authorities.
It reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue and constructive engagement to restore industrial harmony and ensure uninterrupted healthcare delivery across Lagos State.
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