The assessment comes against the backdrop of active Ebola transmission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, coupled with increasing international travel movements and uncertainty about the full scale of the outbreak. Health authorities say these factors collectively raise the likelihood of cross-border spread into Nigeria, particularly through busy entry points and high-traffic corridors.
According to a dynamic risk evaluation conducted by the NCDC, several areas of concern have been identified, including border communities, major transport hubs, selected high-density states, and official Points of Entry (PoEs), all of which are now under heightened surveillance.
In a public health advisory issued in Abuja, the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, stressed that preparedness measures are being scaled up nationwide. He stated that the National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) “is on the alert mode”, underscoring the agency’s push to strengthen readiness and response capacity.
While Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed case linked to the current regional outbreak, Dr Idris noted that surveillance remains active due to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) declaration of Ebola as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and the rising number of suspected infections in affected countries.
He further explained that Nigeria has intensified event-based surveillance and epidemic intelligence gathering, which includes monitoring alerts, rumours, and unusual health incidents to support early detection and rapid response.
Travellers arriving from countries with confirmed cases have been advised to closely monitor their health for 21 days. The NCDC urged immediate reporting of symptoms such as fever, weakness, vomiting, or unexplained bleeding, all of which may indicate possible infection.
Red Cross Volunteers Die as Outbreak Deepens in DRC
Tragedy has also been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where three Red Cross volunteers are believed to have died from suspected Ebola infection while carrying out humanitarian work.
The volunteers—Alikana Udumusi Augustin, Sezabo Katanabo, and Ajiko Chandiru Viviane—were working in Mongwalu in the eastern Ituri region, an area now considered the epicentre of the outbreak. They reportedly contracted the virus on March 27 while engaged in a project unrelated to Ebola, before the outbreak had been formally identified.
They died between May 5 and May 16, 2026.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) described their service in emotional terms, stating they had died after serving their communities “with courage and humanity”.
Health experts have also raised concern over the handling of infected remains, warning that the bodies of Ebola patients remain highly infectious due to the persistence of bodily fluids after death, increasing the risk of further transmission during burial practices.
Expanding Regional Concern Across Africa
Beyond Nigeria, continental health monitoring agencies have warned that the outbreak could extend across multiple African countries if not rapidly contained. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has identified at least 10 countries at risk of Ebola transmission, including Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia.
This regional alert follows earlier declarations by the World Health Organisation, which classified the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern due to its high fatality rate and potential for rapid cross-border spread.
HURIWA Warns of National Preparedness Gaps
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has also voiced concern over what it describes as a growing but insufficiently addressed public health threat.
The group warned that the situation, if not urgently contained, poses significant risks to Nigeria given its population density, high mobility across borders, and longstanding challenges in health surveillance systems.
HURIWA expressed particular concern that Nigeria has yet to publicly present a detailed and structured preparedness plan comparable to the coordinated national response used during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It therefore called on the Federal Government to immediately activate a comprehensive National Ebola Prevention and Preparedness Framework, coordinated by the NCDC in collaboration with state governments.
The association urged swift action, stressing that early coordination and visibility of response mechanisms would be critical to preventing any potential outbreak from escalating within the country.