The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved a weekly stipend of N100,000 for each person placed under isolation or quarantine as health authorities step up efforts to contain an Ebola outbreak in Abuja, with 53 contacts of the confirmed case now under surveillance.
NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, announced the emergency support during a press briefing on Sunday, saying it would help cover feeding, accommodation, and family expenses while contacts undergo public health monitoring
“We are providing N100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding because they were complaining,” Idris said.
He explained that the payment was not initially planned but became necessary after some contacts raised concerns about the financial burden of complying with isolation arrangements.
53 contacts under surveillance
According to Idris, Nigeria had recorded one confirmed Ebola case as of the briefing, with 53 primary contacts identified for monitoring. They include healthcare workers, household members, domestic staff, and personnel involved in collecting samples from the patient.
The contacts are being monitored for symptoms during the 21-day incubation period following their last possible exposure. Idris said one contact who reported feeling unwell had tested negative.
The confirmed case involves a woman who travelled from Uganda to Nigeria and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola on October 20. She reportedly developed symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention in Abuja on October 11.
The World Health Organisation has classified the infection as imported, while investigations continue to establish the likely source of exposure.
NCDC urges states to prepare
Idris stressed that the FCT should not be solely responsible for funding the response, urging other state governments to prepare financial and logistical resources for contact tracing, isolation, and emergency public health measures.
He said the NCDC was strengthening infection prevention measures in healthcare facilities, training health workers, and supporting the provision of protective equipment and laboratory supplies.
Nigeria successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 through contact tracing, isolation, and coordinated public health action.
Idris urged Nigerians to rely on verified information, avoid spreading rumours, and cooperate with health officials as surveillance and monitoring efforts continue.
