By TheDailyNewsHub Reporter
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has clarified that the ₦10 billion emergency intervention fund approved by President Bola Tinubu was not intended exclusively for Ebola preparedness but also covers other infectious disease threats, including Lassa fever.
NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, gave the clarification during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Todayon October 26, amid public questions over the purpose and utilisation of the funding.
Idris explained that the request for the intervention preceded Nigeria’s confirmation of an imported Ebola case in October and was designed to strengthen the country’s broader capacity to prevent and control disease outbreaks.
He said the funding would support surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, screening, contact tracing and monitoring at the country’s points of entry. Other areas include the procurement of personal protective equipment, laboratory reagents and consumables, transportation, fuel and operational support for response teams.
The NCDC chief also identified the rehabilitation of treatment and isolation centres, including facilities in Abuja, as part of the areas requiring intervention.
He noted that Nigeria was approaching the Lassa fever season, which typically runs from November to April, making sustained investment in disease preparedness necessary.
President Tinubu approved the ₦10 billion emergency fund on June 9, 2026, alongside the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats. The approval was announced more than four months before Nigeria confirmed its first imported Ebola case on October 20.
The funding has attracted public scrutiny following questions about whether the money has been released or spent. The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council previously claimed that the allocation remained untouched, while calling attention to the use of existing resources by relevant agencies.
However, the NCDC’s explanation has clarified the intended scope of the intervention, but questions remain about its implementation. Reports reviewed have not established how much of the ₦10 billion has been released, committed or spent.
Nigeria’s Ebola response has also continued following the evacuation of the confirmed patient to Switzerland. Health authorities have maintained surveillance and contact-tracing activities, emphasising that the absence of an active confirmed case does not automatically mean the country has been declared Ebola-free.
The NCDC’s clarification highlights the importance of strengthening public health systems beyond individual outbreaks, while ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of emergency funds.