Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has ordered a 21-day no-fly restriction for 46 persons identified as contacts of a woman confirmed to have Ebola in the Federal Capital Territory.
Keyamo disclosed the directive after a virtual meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, who provided a list of 44 persons who came into contact with the affected woman at a hospital after she developed Ebola symptoms, alongside two members of her domestic staff.
In a statement posted on his verified X account, Keyamo said the individuals would be barred from travelling by air while health authorities work to determine whether they had contracted the virus.
He said he had directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to immediately notify domestic and international airlines of the restriction.
The minister also ordered the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to strengthen Ebola surveillance at international airports through enhanced health screening, temperature checks, travel history monitoring and digital health declarations.
According to Keyamo, FAAN is also coordinating with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and other relevant agencies to improve the country’s response to the outbreak.
The minister’s statement did not identify the affected woman or disclose the hospital where the contacts were identified. It also did not indicate that any of the 46 individuals had tested positive for Ebola.
FAAN said it was maintaining heightened vigilance across airport operations and working with the NCDC, Port Health Services, NCAA and other agencies to support containment efforts.
In a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, the agency said it would continue coordinating with health authorities and implement additional measures where necessary to protect passengers, airport personnel and the public.
FAAN urged travellers and other airport users to cooperate with health officials, remain calm and rely on verified information rather than spreading unconfirmed reports.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats has assured Nigerians that measures are in place to contain the outbreak.
The task force chairman and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, gave the assurance after an emergency meeting at the State House on Wednesday.
Gbajabiamila said the task force had been working since its inauguration in June, adding that surveillance measures and established health protocols helped authorities identify the case.
He disclosed that approximately 44,000 flights had operated into and out of Nigeria since June, attributing the country’s preparedness to collaboration among the Ministry of Health, the task force and other relevant agencies.
He added that the government would strengthen existing protocols and ensure stricter enforcement, while urging Nigerians to cooperate with health officials and avoid unnecessary panic.
Pate also assured Nigerians that the country had competent health authorities and established surveillance systems to respond to the outbreak.
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He said contact tracing was ongoing and exposed individuals were being isolated, while the Federal Government had activated its incident management system with support from the World Health Organisation, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and the NCDC.
He said contact tracing was ongoing and exposed individuals were being isolated, The minister added that hospitals and state-level response systems were being mobilised to contain the infection.
He urged Nigerians to comply with public health directives and avoid spreading misinformation, expressing confidence that continued coordination and cooperation would help the country contain the outbreak.
The Federal Government confirmed an Ebola case in the FCT on Wednesday and said containment efforts were ongoing.
