By, Olawale Ogunbusola, Ibadan
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease and released N10 billion as emergency intervention fund.

In a statement signed by
Special Adviser to the President, Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Tuesday, noted that the fund will strengthen the operational preparedness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, and support critical national public health emergency response activities.

The task force will be chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, with membership drawn from relevant ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs, and state governments.

The President’s approval followed a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Chief of Staff to review Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies against possible importation of Ebola into the country.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Interior, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Lagos State Government and other agencies.

President Tinubu directed all states hosting international airports and border corridors, as well as relevant MDAs, to submit their plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for coordinated implementation.

Additional measures approved include: intensified passenger screening at all international airports with enhanced temperature checks and crowd-control protocols; enhanced monitoring of passengers on high-risk routes including Uganda Airlines, RwandAir, Air Tanzania, TAAG Angola Airlines, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines; and immediate activation of referral and isolation centres at Lagos and Abuja airports, with other airports to follow.

The task force will also mandate QR code-based pre-arrival health declarations for passengers from high-risk countries, and disinfection of departure halls, cargo and baggage areas.

The President further directed the advisory group to consult security, diplomatic and aviation bodies on regulating flights from affected countries, and to designate specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights with adjusted timings to minimise contact with other passengers.