FG Confirms Imported Ebola Case in FCT, Begins Contact Tracing

By: Tunji Okunlola

The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, said at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday that the case is imported and was confirmed by laboratory testing. The patient is a woman who recently travelled to East Africa, particularly Uganda, and returned to Nigeria with symptoms on October 7. Her condition progressed four days later, after which tests confirmed the infection.

According to a government statement, she arrived on an international flight from Uganda and was admitted to a private hospital, where she received care for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed. She is now in isolation and receiving medical care.

Pate said contact tracing has begun, with 44 contacts identified so far, and that surveillance is being strengthened at the country’s entry points. The Ministry of Health, the FCT Health Secretariat, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and other partners are working together to contain the infection and prevent further spread. He added that all identified contacts are being traced and monitored.

He urged public and private health facilities to stay on high alert and said health workers must keep a high index of suspicion for possible cases. He asked Nigerians to remain calm and vigilant, practise good hygiene, watch for symptoms such as fever, weakness, headache and diarrhoea, and cooperate with public health officials.

Pate said the situation is being managed and that the government will give timely and transparent updates. He noted that the response draws on Nigeria’s experience containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak and the public health systems built since then.

The announcement follows an outbreak of the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and confirmed cases in Kenya. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) had heightened vigilance and reviewed the country’s preparedness. It said the detection of a case in Kenya, linked to the DRC outbreak, underscores the risk of importation through travel and population movement, including into Nigeria. As of October 6, 2026, the agency said, Nigeria had no confirmed case.