Nigeria Places 21 States On Ebola Alert As Regional Outbreak Risks Rise

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Nigeria has identified 21 states as facing either high or moderate risk of Ebola importation as health authorities strengthen preparedness measures against possible cross-border transmission.

The move comes amid growing concern over recent Ebola outbreaks reported in parts of East and Central Africa.

In a statement, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case so far.

The agency warned that regional outbreaks have increased the possibility of the virus entering the country.

The NCDC classified Abuja, Lagos, Rivers, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kano, Borno, Taraba and Adamawa as high-risk locations.

Authorities linked the classification to active travel networks, international airports, trade corridors, and porous land borders.

The agency also identified Ogun, Ebonyi, Abia, Bayelsa, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Niger, Jigawa, Katsina and Bauchi as moderate-risk states.

Officials have directed these regions to strengthen surveillance systems and emergency preparedness plans.

NCDC Director-General Jide Idris said the World Health Organisation declaration of the Ebola outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern highlights the need for stronger preventive action. He cautioned that Ebola symptoms closely resemble those of Malaria and Lassa Fever, which could delay diagnosis and increase transmission risks.

Nigeria, home to more than 242 million people, remains Africa’s most populous nation and the sixth most populous country globally.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as highly complex. He cited conflict, insecurity, displacement, food shortages and community mistrust as major obstacles to containment efforts.

Speaking after arriving in Kinshasa, Ghebreyesus assured affected communities that the WHO remains committed to supporting response operations and strengthening disease control efforts.

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Pragati Upadhyay

I report stories and occasionally rescue facts from chaos. By profession, I’m a journalist; by conviction, a social worker who believes words should move people, not just headlines. I question power, celebrate ordinary heroes, and sometimes irritate the comfortable. If truth had a shift, I’d probably be working overtime.