Ebola outbreak: NCDC to pay contacts N100,000 weekly for upkeep

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved a weekly payment of ₦100,000 for individuals placed under isolation or quarantine as authorities intensify efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Director-General of the agency, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this on Sunday during a briefing on Nigeria’s response to the outbreak, explaining that the financial assistance was introduced to ease the burden on people being monitored for possible exposure to the virus.

According to Idris, some contacts had raised concerns about the cost of feeding, accommodation and providing for their families while complying with public health directives.

“We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding. Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families,” he said.

He added, “We are providing N100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding, because they were complaining.”

Idris said the intervention was not part of the agency’s initial plans but had become necessary because of the emergency, adding that the arrangement would be reviewed as the situation developed.

“This was not planned for, but it is an emergency. We will continue to review it as we go along,” Idris said.

The NCDC chief also called on state governments to prepare for similar public health emergencies, stressing that the responsibility for supporting affected contacts should not rest solely on the FCT administration.

“This is not the responsibility of the FCT alone. What we have to do for the FCT, we have to do for any other state, just in case,” he said.

He explained that state governments must make adequate financial and logistical provisions for contact tracing, isolation and other emergency response activities within their respective jurisdictions.

The intervention comes as health authorities step up surveillance and containment measures following the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Abuja on October 20, 2026.

Idris said Nigeria had recorded one confirmed case as of Sunday, with 53 primary contacts identified for monitoring. They include healthcare workers, household members, domestic staff and personnel involved in collecting samples from the patient.

He said public health teams were assessing the contacts based on their level of exposure and monitoring them for symptoms, while anyone who develops signs of infection would undergo further medical assessment and testing.

The agency has also made arrangements to isolate contacts where necessary and monitor their health throughout the 21-day incubation period following their last possible exposure.

According to Idris, one contact who reported feeling unwell had tested negative for Ebola, while surveillance and follow-up activities continued.

He added that the NCDC was strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities, training health personnel and supporting the availability of protective equipment and laboratory supplies.

The confirmed case involves a woman who travelled to Nigeria from Uganda and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.

She reportedly developed symptoms on October 7, sought medical attention in Abuja on October 11 and received confirmation of her infection on October 20.

The World Health Organisation has classified the infection as an imported case, with investigations ongoing to establish the likely source of exposure.

The wider regional outbreak has also affected the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya, highlighting the importance of cross-border surveillance, timely detection and effective contact tracing.

Nigeria previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 through case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.

Idris said the agency was applying lessons from that experience to strengthen the country’s preparedness, noting that successful containment would require cooperation among government institutions, healthcare workers, affected contacts and the public.

He urged Nigerians to rely on verified information, avoid spreading rumours and cooperate with health officials carrying out contact tracing and monitoring.

(PUNCH)