The Federal Government (FG) has tightened screening and monitoring procedures at Nigeria’s entry points following a fresh outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Director of Port Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Akpan Nse, confirmed this in an interview with PUNCH on Friday.

He said extra staff had been deployed to airports, land borders, and seaports to boost surveillance and ensure thorough checks on all inbound passengers.

Health officials in the DRC declared the outbreak in Kasai Province, reporting 28 suspected cases and 16 deaths, including four health workers, as of September 5, 2025. Laboratory results later confirmed the Ebola Zaire strain as the cause.

Dr. Nse noted that Nigeria remained vulnerable due to heavy international travel with the DRC but assured that the government was prepared.

“We have intensified surveillance at all points of entry—airports, land borders, and seaports. Every inbound traveller from Congo is screened and required to complete health declaration forms,” he said.

“We’ve also reactivated our portals, so even those transiting through Congo must undergo screening. With support from WHO, we’ve recruited more staff to strengthen surveillance. Our priority is to block any possible importation of the virus.”

He added that private organisations were working with the government to keep thermal scanners at airports fully operational.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released $500,000 from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support the DRC’s response. WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said health teams were on the ground tracing contacts, testing samples, and providing equipment and vaccines. About 2,000 doses of the Ebola vaccine prepositioned in Kinshasa will be deployed to protect health workers and close contacts.

This is the 16th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC since the virus was first discovered in 1976.