The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and launched an emergency response to stop further spread.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announced this in a statement on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, after laboratory tests confirmed the infection.
Patient arrived from Uganda
According to the statement, the patient is a woman who recently flew into Nigeria from Uganda. She was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT and treated for several days before the tests confirmed Ebola.
She is now in isolation and receiving care.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other agencies are coordinating the response.
44 contacts identified
The government said contact tracing has begun, with 44 close contacts identified so far. Health teams are tracking and monitoring people who may have been exposed, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
Authorities have also stepped up disease surveillance and are helping the hospital strengthen its infection prevention and control measures.
All public and private health facilities across the country have been directed to stay alert for suspected cases. Health workers were told to isolate suspected patients promptly, follow strict infection control protocols and report suspected infections to public health authorities immediately.
How Ebola spreads
The government said Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person who is showing symptoms or has died of the disease. Contaminated materials can also transmit it.
It stressed that an infected person cannot pass on the virus before symptoms appear.
Symptoms to watch for include:
- Fever and severe weakness
- Headache
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
Nigerians were advised to practise regular hand hygiene and avoid contact with the body fluids of anyone suspected to have the disease.
Anyone who believes they may have been exposed should report to public health authorities. Those who develop symptoms should avoid close contact with others and seek guidance from health officials before going to a health facility.
People contacted during the tracing exercise, including relevant airline passengers, were urged to cooperate with officials and provide the information requested.
The government also warned against spreading unverified information and stigmatising people who may have been exposed.
FG cites 2014 experience
Pate said Nigeria has the experience and capacity to handle the case, pointing to the country’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014. He added that stopping further transmission would depend on cooperation among the public, health workers and other stakeholders.
The minister assured Nigerians that the Federal Government, FCT authorities and partners are working together to protect health workers, patients and the wider population.
Investigations are ongoing, and further updates will come from the Presidential Taskforce on Ebola Virus Disease and the NCDC.
Members of the public can call the NCDC’s toll-free line, 6232, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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