Ebola: Senate Demands Emergency Funds, Orders Mandatory Screening at All Entry Points

According to a report by Daily Post on Wednesday October 21, 2026, the Nigerian Senate has urged the Federal Government to release emergency funding to strengthen disease surveillance and introduce compulsory health screening for all international travellers entering the country to prevent the importation of Ebola and other infectious diseases.

The lawmakers called for mandatory checks at international airports, seaports and designated land borders, following a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Francis Faduyile.

Faduyile raised concerns over the spread of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, warning that its expansion from the Democratic Republic of Congo to other African countries, including Uganda and Kenya, increased the risk of infected travellers entering Nigeria through transit routes.

He also cited an assessment by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) indicating a high risk of Ebola being imported into the country.

The senator recalled Nigeria’s 2014 Ebola outbreak, when an infected traveller introduced the virus into Lagos, stressing the importance of strengthening preventive measures at the nation’s borders.

While acknowledging existing government measures, including health declaration forms and enhanced surveillance, the Senate expressed concern that screening was restricted to travellers from selected countries. It warned that this approach could leave gaps in disease monitoring, particularly given shortages of trained personnel and screening equipment at some entry points.

The lawmakers also noted that Port Health Services continues to operate under the Quarantine Act of 1926, despite Nigeria’s ongoing challenges with diseases such as Lassa fever, cholera and diphtheria.

The Senate directed the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, NCDC and Port Health Services to screen every arriving international passenger, regardless of nationality or departure country. Measures should include health declarations, temperature checks and symptom assessments, with enhanced monitoring for travellers who visited affected areas within the previous 21 days.

It further called for departure screening during declared public health emergencies, improved border facilities, adequately equipped isolation centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, and sufficient protective equipment.

The Senate also advocated replacing the 1926 Quarantine Act with modern legislation aligned with the International Health Regulations of 2005. It urged relevant ministries to provide adequate funding for the NCDC and Port Health Services in the 2027 budget and release outstanding funds to improve emergency preparedness.

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