By Simpson Global Media News Desk
September 23, 2026
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has placed Nigeria on high alert and intensified public-health surveillance following the continuing Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where thousands of confirmed cases and deaths have been reported.
In a health advisory issued on Wednesday, September 23, and signed by NCDC Director-General Dr Jide Idris, the agency said preparatory activities were ongoing and that the country’s response measures would continue to be reviewed as the epidemiological situation changes. The advisory followed a Dynamic Risk Assessment conducted by the NCDC in consultation with public-health experts and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
The NCDC’s latest position does not mean that Nigeria has reported a confirmed Ebola outbreak. Rather, the high-alert posture reflects precautionary surveillance and preparedness in response to the continuing regional outbreak and the possibility of an imported case.
The agency has advised travellers arriving from countries with active or relevant Ebola transmission to complete the Health Declaration Form as part of enhanced public-health surveillance and follow-up measures. Travellers from other countries are currently exempt from the requirement, according to the advisory.
The development comes as the Ebola outbreak in the DRC continues to expand geographically and remains concentrated in several provinces. The World Health Organization has described the outbreak as being caused by Bundibugyo virus, a species of ebolavirus, while the latest WHO situation report says affected health zones have continued to increase.
NCDC raises surveillance posture
The NCDC’s decision to place Nigeria on high alert brings renewed attention to the country’s capacity to identify a suspected case before the virus can spread through communities or healthcare facilities.
The agency said all preparatory activities were being strengthened and that measures would be reviewed in line with the evolving epidemiological situation and public-health risk assessment. It also urged Nigerians to remain vigilant for symptoms consistent with Ebola and to seek medical attention promptly if they become unwell, particularly where there has been relevant travel or possible exposure.
Providing accurate travel and exposure information to healthcare workers is an important part of the response because Ebola symptoms can overlap with illnesses that are common in Nigeria.
The NCDC had already identified this challenge in an earlier preparedness advisory issued in May. At that time, it said the early symptoms of Ebola can resemble those of malaria, Lassa fever and other endemic febrile illnesses, making early recognition and appropriate investigation important.
The May advisory also instructed states and the Federal Capital Territory to prepare for early detection, immediate isolation, supportive care, infection prevention and control, safe sample handling, contact-tracing readiness, safe referral systems, risk communication and protection of health workers.
That preparedness framework provides context for the latest high-alert announcement.
DRC outbreak remains substantial
The scale of the outbreak in the DRC is the immediate reason for renewed attention in Nigeria.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the DRC had recorded 7,672 confirmed cases and 3,699 related deaths as of September 20, based on information available through September 19. At the same point, 886 patients were hospitalised in isolation.
The ECDC said 58 new confirmed cases and 23 deaths had been reported compared with the previous update. The new cases were recorded in Ituri, North Kivu, Haut-Uélé and Tshopo provinces.
Ituri remained the most affected province, with 5,913 cases and 2,703 deaths reported across 28 of its 36 health zones in the ECDC assessment.
The WHO’s situation report covering data through September 20 gave a slightly different cumulative figure because of reporting and update timing. WHO recorded 7,733 confirmed cases and 3,732 deaths, with a crude case-fatality ratio of 48.3 percent, while noting that the outbreak had reached 63 health zones.
Differences between reporting totals can occur when national surveillance systems are updated, cases are retrospectively classified or international organisations use different reporting cut-off dates. The underlying picture remains the same: transmission continues across multiple parts of the DRC, and the geographical footprint has expanded.
The WHO said Dungu Health Zone in Haut-Uélé Province, which borders South Sudan, became the latest affected health zone in its September 20 report. The expansion has increased attention to cross-border movement and the potential for further spread between countries.
Why Nigeria is monitoring the situation closely
Nigeria’s public-health authorities have repeatedly identified international travel and population movement as factors that could facilitate the importation of infectious diseases.
In its May 2026 advisory, the NCDC assessed Nigeria’s risk of Ebola importation as high, citing ongoing regional transmission, international travel, population movement, major airports and seaports, porous land borders, informal crossings and trade routes.
Nigeria’s position as a major regional transport and commercial hub means that an imported case would need to be identified quickly to reduce the possibility of secondary transmission.
This is particularly important because a traveller may initially present with a fever or other nonspecific symptoms that could have several possible causes. A health worker who does not know about recent travel or exposure may not immediately consider Ebola.
For that reason, the latest NCDC advisory places emphasis on travel and exposure histories alongside symptoms.
The requirement for travellers from countries with active or relevant EVD transmission to complete a Health Declaration Form is designed to provide public-health authorities with information that can support surveillance and follow-up.
The NCDC said passengers from other countries are currently exempt from the form requirement, indicating that the measure is being targeted according to the assessed epidemiological risk rather than applied universally to all international travellers.
Nigeria's previous Ebola experience
Nigeria has direct experience of detecting and containing an imported Ebola case.
During the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Nigeria successfully interrupted transmission after the virus was introduced into the country through an infected traveller. That experience has subsequently been used in public-health planning, training and emergency preparedness.
The NCDC’s May 2026 advisory specifically referred to Nigeria’s previous containment experience, highlighting early recognition, coordinated leadership, contact tracing, infection prevention and control and public trust as important elements of the response.
Nigeria has also developed and maintained systems for responding to viral haemorrhagic fevers and other infectious-disease emergencies.
The NCDC’s current guidelines repository includes Ebola surveillance procedures, case definitions, contact-tracing guidance, self-isolation guidance, Ebola care-kit guidance and national infection-prevention and control guidelines for viral haemorrhagic fevers.
The country has therefore been preparing for the possibility of imported Ebola cases even when no confirmed Nigerian case is present.
In July 2026, the NCDC also conducted a national Ebola preparedness tabletop simulation exercise involving key stakeholders. According to the agency’s weekly epidemiological report, the exercise tested coordination mechanisms, incident management, risk communication, healthcare-worker protection and multisectoral response arrangements. It also identified preparedness gaps and generated improvement actions.
Such exercises are intended to test systems before an emergency occurs rather than waiting until a suspected case has already entered the health system.
What high alert means for the public
For members of the public, the current high-alert declaration is principally a surveillance and preparedness measure.
It does not mean that Nigerians are being told that Ebola is circulating in the country.
The NCDC has not announced a confirmed Ebola case in Nigeria in connection with the current DRC outbreak. Its latest advisory instead focuses on vigilance, early reporting, traveller surveillance and preparedness.
The distinction is important because public-health alerts can generate anxiety when their purpose is misunderstood.
An alert allows health authorities to increase attention to a potential threat before it becomes a domestic outbreak. It can involve reviewing response plans, strengthening surveillance, preparing healthcare workers and ensuring that information can move rapidly between facilities and public-health authorities.
The NCDC has asked people who develop symptoms consistent with Ebola to seek medical attention promptly and to provide relevant travel or exposure information where applicable.
The message is therefore focused on early recognition rather than widespread public alarm.
Understanding Ebola transmission
Ebola is a severe viral disease that can cause serious illness and death. The virus is primarily transmitted through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person or animal.
This means that ordinary casual interaction is not the same as the type of exposure that typically drives transmission.
In healthcare settings, however, risks can increase when infection-prevention procedures are not followed. Health workers may be exposed through contact with infected bodily fluids, contaminated materials or procedures involving infected patients.
For that reason, infection prevention and control is a central component of every Ebola preparedness plan.
The NCDC’s May advisory called for appropriate personal protective equipment, safe sample handling, isolation arrangements, safe referral systems, decontamination and protection of frontline workers.
WHO similarly says that the current response in the DRC includes strengthening surveillance, contact tracing, clinical preparedness and management, supplies, community engagement and cross-border preparedness.
Symptoms require careful assessment
Ebola can begin with symptoms that are not unique to the disease.
Fever and other general symptoms may also occur in malaria, Lassa fever and numerous other infections commonly encountered in Nigeria. This overlap is one reason public-health officials emphasise travel history and exposure information as part of the assessment of suspected cases.
The NCDC has advised people who experience symptoms consistent with Ebola to seek medical attention promptly, particularly where there has been relevant travel or possible exposure.
The agency has also advised people to provide healthcare workers with relevant travel and exposure information.
That information can help clinicians and public-health authorities determine whether additional infection-control measures, testing or public-health investigation are required.
Members of the public should therefore avoid attempting to diagnose Ebola themselves. A fever or other illness does not automatically indicate Ebola, and Nigeria has many other causes of febrile illness.
The appropriate response to concerning symptoms is timely medical assessment.
The particular challenge of Bundibugyo virus
The current outbreak involves Bundibugyo virus, a species of ebolavirus first identified in Uganda in 2007.
The outbreak in the DRC was declared in May 2026 and subsequently expanded beyond its initial area. WHO has said the current outbreak is occurring in a difficult environment characterised by humanitarian pressures, insecurity, population mobility and trade movements.
One important difference from some previous Ebola outbreaks is that the Bundibugyo species does not have a licensed vaccine or specific treatment currently available for widespread use, according to WHO.
This makes conventional outbreak-control measures particularly important.
Those measures include rapid detection, laboratory confirmation, isolation, clinical supportive care, infection prevention and control, contact tracing, safe management of patients and deceased persons, community engagement and monitoring of potentially exposed people.
The absence of a licensed vaccine or specific treatment for this species also increases the importance of preparedness before cases cross borders.
Children face a particular burden in the DRC
The human impact of the outbreak has been especially serious among children.
WHO reported on September 21 that nearly one in four confirmed Bundibugyo virus cases in the DRC were children, while children accounted for almost one in three deaths. Children under five had the highest reported fatality level, with more than 60 percent of confirmed cases in that age group proving fatal in the data described by WHO.
WHO case-management teams have been working to adapt care for children because treatment and supportive care requirements can differ according to age and clinical condition.
The figures also highlight why maintaining essential health services during an outbreak is important.
Children may need routine immunisation, treatment for malaria, nutrition services and other forms of healthcare even when an Ebola response is taking place. A health emergency can therefore create indirect risks if routine services are disrupted or if families become afraid to visit healthcare facilities.
Nigeria’s May preparedness guidance explicitly called for maintaining essential health services while preparing for Ebola.
Surveillance remains the first line of defence
Disease surveillance allows health authorities to detect unusual patterns before they become larger outbreaks.
Nigeria has used surveillance systems for diseases including Ebola, Lassa fever, cholera, meningitis and vaccine-preventable diseases.
The NCDC’s preparedness strategy for Ebola includes early detection and immediate reporting of suspected cases. States have been instructed to identify holding or isolation facilities and establish clear referral pathways for suspected patients.
At the points of entry, surveillance provides another opportunity to identify people who may require assessment.
Airports, seaports and land borders are particularly important because they connect populations and can allow an infectious disease to move between countries.
The current traveller declaration requirement for people arriving from countries with active or relevant Ebola transmission forms part of that surveillance architecture.
The objective is not to stop all travel but to identify relevant exposure risks and create a mechanism for appropriate public-health follow-up.
Healthcare workers remain central to preparedness
Doctors, nurses, laboratory professionals, emergency responders, ambulance teams, cleaners and other healthcare workers can all play roles in identifying and managing suspected infectious-disease cases.
They are also among the groups that can face increased exposure during an outbreak.
The NCDC’s preparedness framework therefore includes workforce protection, personal protective equipment, infection-prevention training, exposure-management procedures and psychosocial support.
WHO has similarly emphasised infection prevention and clinical preparedness in the DRC response.
The protection of healthcare workers has implications beyond individual safety.
If a health worker becomes infected or if healthcare facilities become associated with disease transmission, communities may lose confidence in seeking treatment. Staff shortages can also weaken the ability of facilities to maintain both outbreak response and routine services.
Preparedness therefore requires health workers to have appropriate equipment, training, clear procedures and access to rapid technical support.
Community trust and accurate information
Public communication is another important part of Ebola preparedness.
WHO has emphasised community engagement as a central element of the DRC response, noting that communities need to be involved for outbreak-control measures to work effectively.
For Nigeria, the same principle is relevant to any potential imported case.
Rumours can lead to fear, stigma, delayed reporting or unsafe responses. Conversely, clear communication can help people understand what health authorities are asking them to do and why.
The NCDC has urged Nigerians to remain vigilant while relying on official public-health information.
This means that social-media claims about alleged Ebola cases should not automatically be treated as confirmed information.
A suspected case is not the same as a confirmed case. Laboratory investigation and official public-health confirmation are necessary before such claims can be treated as established facts.
The distinction is particularly important during outbreaks because inaccurate reports can create unnecessary fear or stigmatise individuals and communities.
International response continues in the DRC
The DRC outbreak has attracted continued international support.
On September 21, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control announced the deployment of two epidemiologists to the DRC to strengthen surveillance and support the wider response.
WHO has also continued to support surveillance, case management, supplies, contact tracing, community engagement and cross-border preparedness.
The WHO’s September 20 report said the outbreak had reached 63 health zones across seven provinces, illustrating the operational challenge facing responders.
The outbreak is taking place in areas where insecurity and population movement can complicate access to affected communities.
Mining, trading, migration and other forms of population mobility can create additional challenges for contact tracing and surveillance, particularly when people move across administrative or national borders.
This is one reason cross-border cooperation is an important part of the response.
Nigeria's preparedness must extend beyond airports
Although airports are highly visible points of entry, Nigeria’s preparedness challenge is broader.
The country has major seaports, land borders, informal crossings, road transport corridors and extensive internal population movement.
The NCDC’s May advisory therefore called on states to conduct risk assessments that consider points of entry, population movement, high-density settings and facilities likely to receive suspected cases.
The agency identified Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba and Adamawa as high-risk states in its May preparedness classification because of factors including trade and travel routes, airports, seaports and porous borders. It also placed several other states in moderate-risk and baseline-preparedness categories.
The classification is intended to guide preparedness priorities rather than suggest that Ebola is circulating in any of those states.
The NCDC also noted that risk classifications can change as the epidemiological situation develops.
Laboratory capacity and rapid confirmation
An effective Ebola response depends on laboratory confirmation.
Nigeria has previously developed diagnostic capacity for Ebola through its national public-health laboratory system, while the NCDC maintains guidelines for Ebola case definitions, surveillance and laboratory processes.
Rapid confirmation matters because Ebola can resemble other diseases during its early stages.
If a suspected case is identified, public-health teams need to determine quickly whether the patient has Ebola or another condition so that appropriate clinical and infection-control decisions can be made.
Laboratory preparedness therefore involves more than having a test available. Samples must be collected safely, transported under appropriate conditions, processed by trained personnel and linked to an incident-management system capable of acting on the result.
This is why the NCDC’s preparedness framework places safe sample handling alongside early detection, isolation and contact tracing.
What happens if a suspected case is detected?
Nigeria’s preparedness plans are designed around a sequence of actions.
A person presenting with compatible symptoms and relevant exposure history would require prompt assessment.
If Ebola is suspected, appropriate infection-prevention measures would be implemented, including separation from other patients and use of protective equipment by healthcare workers.
The case would then be reported through established public-health channels, while samples could be collected safely for laboratory testing.
If a case were confirmed, contact tracing and monitoring would become central components of the response.
The NCDC’s May advisory specifically called for states to identify functional holding or isolation facilities, establish referral pathways, strengthen infection prevention and control and prepare for contact tracing.
The objective would be to identify people who may have been exposed, monitor them appropriately and interrupt potential chains of transmission.
Nigeria’s experience in 2014 demonstrated the value of rapid coordination between federal and state authorities, healthcare workers, laboratories and communities.
The importance of maintaining ordinary healthcare
An Ebola alert does not eliminate the need to provide routine medical services.
Hospitals and primary healthcare centres must continue treating malaria, hypertension, diabetes, childbirth complications, injuries, infections and other conditions.
During outbreaks, health systems can face the risk of diverting too many resources toward the emergency or of patients avoiding facilities because they fear infection.
The NCDC’s earlier preparedness guidance specifically called for arrangements that allow essential health services to continue while Ebola screening, isolation and referral systems operate.
This is an important component of health-system resilience.
Preparedness is therefore not simply about constructing an isolation centre or obtaining protective equipment. It involves ensuring that the wider health system can continue functioning while responding to a potential emergency.
Public vigilance without panic
The latest NCDC advisory places Nigeria in a heightened surveillance posture at a time when the DRC outbreak remains active.
For Nigerians, the practical message is straightforward: remain attentive to official health guidance, provide accurate travel information when seeking care and promptly report concerning illness through appropriate healthcare channels.
There is no basis in the current NCDC advisory for treating Nigeria as though it has a confirmed domestic Ebola outbreak.
The high-alert declaration is a precautionary measure intended to strengthen readiness while the situation in the DRC evolves.
The distinction between preparedness and an active domestic outbreak should remain central to public communication.
What to watch next
The next stage of Nigeria’s response will depend on developments in the DRC and on the country’s ongoing risk assessments.
The NCDC said its measures would continue to be reviewed in line with the evolving epidemiological situation and public-health risk assessment.
That means surveillance requirements and preparedness measures could be adjusted if the outbreak expands, contracts or changes geographically.
International agencies are also continuing to update their assessments.
WHO’s latest report through September 20 recorded further geographic expansion in the DRC, while ECDC continues to monitor the outbreak and support surveillance activities.
For Nigeria, continued coordination between the NCDC, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, state health authorities, Port Health Services, laboratories, hospitals and international partners will remain important.
Preparedness is most effective when the systems required during an emergency are already functioning before the first suspected case appears.
Nigeria remains on preparedness footing
The NCDC’s September 23 advisory places Nigeria on high alert as the DRC confronts a large and geographically expanding Bundibugyo virus outbreak.
The latest DRC figures show thousands of confirmed cases and deaths, while WHO reports continued expansion into additional health zones.
Nigeria’s response is centred on surveillance, traveller monitoring, early detection, rapid assessment, infection prevention and control, laboratory readiness, healthcare-worker protection and public communication.
The country has also drawn on previous Ebola experience and more recent preparedness exercises to strengthen its emergency systems.
For the public, the most important distinction remains that Nigeria has been placed on high alert because of the regional threat, not because a domestic Ebola outbreak has been confirmed.
As the situation develops, health authorities are expected to continue reviewing the level of preparedness and surveillance required.
For now, the NCDC’s message is one of vigilance, timely medical attention and accurate information, while the international response continues to focus on containing transmission in the DRC and limiting further cross-border spread.
By Simpson Global Media News Desk
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