The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with 44 close contacts identified as public health authorities intensify efforts to prevent further spread of the infection.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the case.
According to the statement, the patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda.
She was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed. She is currently in isolation and receiving medical care.
The minister said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other relevant authorities were working together to contain the infection.
He added that contact tracing had commenced, with public health teams identifying and monitoring individuals who might have been exposed, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
Surveillance has also been intensified, while the hospital where the patient received treatment is receiving immediate support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The Federal Government has urged public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain on high alert, calling on healthcare workers to promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention protocols and immediately report suspected infections to public health authorities.
Explaining how the disease spreads, the government said Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person or someone who has died from the disease, as well as contact with contaminated materials.
It stressed that an infected person cannot transmit the disease before symptoms begin.
Nigerians were advised to remain calm but vigilant, practise regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with the body fluids of suspected cases and watch out for symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly following possible exposure.
The government also urged anyone who might have been exposed to report immediately, even if they felt well.
Individuals who develop symptoms were advised to avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility.
The statement further called on people contacted during the tracing exercise, including relevant airline passengers, to provide necessary information and comply with public health advice.
It warned against the spread of rumours and the stigmatisation of suspected or confirmed cases, urging Nigerians to rely on verified information from official health authorities.
Reassuring the public, Pate recalled Nigeria’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014, saying the country had the experience and public health systems required to respond to the current case.
However, he emphasised that preventing further transmission would require public cooperation, early detection and prompt reporting.
The minister said the Federal Government, FCT authorities and relevant partners were working together to protect healthcare workers, patients and the wider public, adding that investigations were ongoing.
He said the government, through the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease and the NCDC, would continue to provide timely updates on the situation.
The public can contact the NCDC’s 24-hour toll-free call centre on 6232 for information or to report a suspected case.
