Ebola: FG identifies 53 contacts, offers N100,000 weekly support

*Says emergency support to cover feeding, accommodation, family upkeep *Patient improves as DG warns against delayed precautions *Rivers suspected case tests negative *Lagos steps up airport surveillance, says no suspected case *Zamfara activates Ebola surveillance after passenger arrives airport with 38°C fever By Chioma Obinna & Chidinma Chukwu, Abuja The federal government has identified 53 contacts linked to Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, up from the initial 44, as health authorities intensify efforts to prevent further transmission of the virus.

Read Also: Lagos govt on alert, says no Ebola case in state It also announced the approval of an emergency payment of N100,000 per person weekly for individuals placed in isolation or quarantine as part of efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. This came as Lagos State government weekend intensified Ebola surveillance at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and strengthened public health preparedness, following the confirmation of an imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in Abuja,.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed this at a briefing in Abuja yesterday. The government had initially announced 44 contacts, following the confirmation of the Ebola case in the FCT on October 20, 2026. Idris said the contacts, including healthcare workers, the patient’s spouse, domestic staff and other individuals who might have been exposed to the virus, had been identified, categorised and placed under monitoring.

He explained that contact tracing was ongoing and that the number of contacts could change as investigations progressed and more information became available. The NCDC chief maintained that Nigeria had recorded only one confirmed Ebola case, while two additional suspected cases had been investigated. According to him, a suspected case in Rivers State tested negative, while investigations into another suspected case in the FCT were ongoing.

He added that no contact had tested positive for the virus and that the FCT remained the only state with a confirmed case. “As of today, we have two suspected cases again. One in FCT, one in Rivers State. But we’ve tested the Rivers case; it’s negative. “So there’s no red line. We have that confirmed case, that’s the patient in the hospital. Contacts with symptoms, none.

Contacts positive, none. States affected, only FCT now. Now, that’s the summary,” he said. The NCDC chief said the national incident management system had been activated at the highest level to coordinate the response, involving the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, FCT health authorities, other government agencies and technical partners.

He stressed that being identified as a contact did not mean that an individual had contracted the virus, explaining that public health officials needed to monitor such individuals to detect any possible infection early. “Being identified as a contact does not mean that you have Ebola. It means that public health teams need to assess and monitor your health so that any possible infection can be identified early,” he said.

He urged Nigerians contacted by public health officials to cooperate fully and provide accurate information about their movements, contacts and any symptoms they might have experienced. Samples collected On laboratory investigations, Idris said samples collected from the confirmed patient on three occasions had remained positive, while a sample taken from her husband tested negative.

He added that genetic sequencing had been completed by two laboratory facilities to establish the genetic characteristics of the virus, with the findings being used to facilitate information-sharing with Ugandan health authorities. The NCDC chief said the agency had also strengthened the country’s laboratory capacity, with between nine and 12 public and private laboratories equipped to test for Ebola.

He explained that testing for the confirmed case was being conducted at the National Reference Laboratory (NRL), adding that additional reagents and supplies had been positioned across the national laboratory network to improve preparedness. On clinical management, Idris said the confirmed patient was receiving treatment at an isolation facility, while arrangements had been made to accommodate additional cases if necessary.

He disclosed that isolation and quarantine arrangements had also been established for contacts requiring closer monitoring. According to him, the agency was providing accommodation and feeding for contacts placed in isolation or quarantine, alongside temporary financial assistance to help them cater for their families during the monitoring period. He said the government had approved emergency payments of N100,000 per person weekly for contacts in isolation or quarantine.

“Just to douse the tension, we decided we would do this. We provide N100,