The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says Nigeria needs about N104.4 billion annually to strengthen its health security system and respond effectively to disease outbreaks.
The agency’s Director-General, Jide Idris, disclosed this in a statement, warning that inadequate funding remains a major challenge to preventing and managing public health emergencies.
He said implementing the second National Action Plan for Health Security, NAPHS 2.0, would require approximately N522 billion over five years, covering 2025 to 2029.
Idris explained that the plan adopts a multisectoral approach, bringing together government agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to strengthen disease prevention, detection and response.
He added that the N10 billion emergency intervention fund recently approved by President Bola Tinubu should be viewed within the broader funding required to protect the country against public health threats.
Idris said the NCDC’s annual allocation increased from N4 billion in 2024 to N7 billion in 2025, while it also received a N5 billion intervention fund in 2025.
He added that the 2026 Appropriation Act provides N22 billion for the agency.
He said President Bola Tinubu approved an additional N10 billion emergency intervention fund in June 2026, following the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Idris said the extra funding was requested to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for epidemic-prone diseases and was not limited to the Ebola outbreak.
According to report, Idris said the N10 billion was intended to support preparedness and response activities for several diseases, including Lassa fever, cholera and other endemic infections.
President Tinubu established a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats in June, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to coordinate the national response.
However, Idris clarified in the statement that the N10 billion was released to the NCDC and not to the Presidential Task Force.
