Nigeria lawmakers seek emergency Ebola funding for border screening

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Nigeria Ebola border screening funding

Highlights

Nigeria's National Assembly urges immediate release of Service-Wide Vote emergency funds to health agencies following confirmation of an Ebola case in Abuja and 44 identified contacts.
Senate mandates compulsory screening—including health forms, temperature checks, and enhanced surveillance—for all arriving international passengers, regardless of origin, at all airports, seaports, and land borders.
Lawmakers seek overhaul of the 1926 Quarantine Act to align with the 2005 International Health Regulations, with committees given four weeks to report on emergency response progress.

Emergency funding push and screening measures

As reported by Businessday, the National Assembly is urging the Federal Government to release emergency funds from the Service-Wide Vote and pay outstanding appropriated funds to health agencies, especially the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. The request follows confirmation of an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory involving a woman who recently arrives from Uganda, with health authorities identifying 44 close contacts for monitoring and further investigation.

During plenary on Wednesday, Ondo South senator Francis Faduyile says Nigeria cannot wait for fresh budget provisions before equipping agencies responsible for surveillance, screening and containment. He argues that the Bundibugyo strain outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its spread to other African countries create a significant risk for Nigeria, while the NCDC rates the importation risk as high.

The Senate is also calling for compulsory screening for every arriving international passenger at airports, seaports and designated land borders, regardless of nationality or country of departure. Proposed measures include health declaration forms, temperature checks, symptom screening and enhanced checks for travellers who visited or transited through affected areas within the previous 21 days, alongside exit screening during declared public health emergencies.

Pressure on health capacity and legal framework

Lawmakers say the immediate priority is to strengthen operational readiness at points of entry and across the country. The chamber calls on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigeria Immigration Service to ensure adequate numbers of trained Port Health officers, thermal scanners, protective equipment and isolation rooms at all entry points.

The Senate also wants isolation and treatment centres ready across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, reflecting concern over staff shortages, limited screening equipment and weak isolation capacity. Adamu Aliero says many of the proposed steps are already being implemented by the relevant ministry, but adds that the government should not rely on the 2027 budget or a supplementary budget because the threat requires immediate action.

Beyond funding and operations, senators are pressing for an overhaul of Nigeria’s quarantine law. Tahir Monguno calls for parliament to amend the Quarantine Act of 1926, and the Senate backs repeal and re-enactment of the law with a modern public health framework aligned with the International Health Regulations of 2005.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio criticises the aviation sector’s response as too lax and says all relevant agencies must act more decisively. The Senate rejects a proposal for committees to physically inspect major entry points, but directs relevant committees to liaise with government agencies and report back within four weeks, while the Committee on Legislative Compliance monitors implementation.

Our earlier report on United Nigeria Airlines’ plan to raise up to N20 billion through its Series 1 and 2 commercial paper issuance outlined how the carrier aims to finance fleet expansion and boost operational capacity. The move was positioned as a bid to strengthen its presence in Nigeria’s domestic market and potentially intensify competition as airlines seek fresh capital to grow routes and aircraft availability.

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