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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved an emergency payment of ₦100,000 per person weekly for individuals placed in isolation or quarantine as part of efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, explaining that the financial support followed concerns raised by people identified as contacts of Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient.
Idris said some contacts had complained about the cost of feeding, accommodation and maintaining their families while complying with public health monitoring requirements.
“We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding. Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families,” he said.
He added that the agency had approved ₦100,000 per person weekly to provide additional support during the monitoring period.
“We are providing ₦100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding, because they were complaining,” Idris said.
NCDC Describes Payment As Emergency Intervention
Idris described the stipend as an emergency measure that was not included in the agency’s original response plan but became necessary to address the concerns of affected individuals.
“This was not planned for, but it is an emergency. We will continue to review it as we go along,” he said.
According to the NCDC chief, the financial assistance is intended to ease the economic pressure on contacts and encourage their cooperation with health officials conducting surveillance and follow-up activities.
Idris also stressed that preparing for public health emergencies should not be the responsibility of the FCT alone.
He urged state governments to make adequate financial and logistical provisions for personnel, equipment, contact tracing, isolation and other outbreak response activities.
“This is not the responsibility of the FCT alone. What we have to do for the FCT, we have to do for any other state, just in case,” he said.
NCDC Monitors 53 Ebola Contacts
The financial intervention comes as health authorities intensify surveillance following the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Abuja on October 20, 2026.
Idris said Nigeria had recorded one confirmed case as of Sunday’s briefing, with 53 primary contacts identified for monitoring.
The contacts include healthcare workers, household members, domestic staff and personnel involved in collecting samples from the patient.
According to Idris, public health teams are categorising the contacts according to their levels of exposure and conducting regular follow-up checks.
Anyone who develops symptoms during the monitoring period will be assessed promptly and tested where necessary, he said.
The NCDC has also arranged isolation for contacts who require it, with health officials monitoring their condition throughout the 21-day period following their last possible exposure.
The agency disclosed that one contact who reported feeling unwell had tested negative, while contact tracing and surveillance continued.
Health Facilities Strengthen Ebola Preparedness
The NCDC is strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities, training health personnel and supporting the availability of protective equipment and laboratory supplies.
The confirmed case involves a woman who travelled to Nigeria from Uganda and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
According to the timeline provided by health authorities, the woman developed symptoms on October 7, sought medical attention in Abuja on October 11 and tested positive on October 20.
The World Health Organisation has identified the infection as an imported case, while investigations continue into the likely source of exposure.
The developments underscore the importance of cross-border surveillance, rapid case identification and effective contact tracing in responding to infectious disease threats.
Nigeria Draws Lessons From 2014 Ebola Outbreak
Nigeria is drawing on lessons from its successful containment of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, when coordinated case identification, contact tracing, isolation and other public health measures helped prevent wider transmission.
Idris said the NCDC was strengthening preparedness across states and emphasised that containing the current outbreak would require cooperation among government agencies, healthcare workers, affected contacts and members of the public.
He urged Nigerians to rely on verified information, avoid spreading rumours and cooperate with public health officials conducting contact tracing and monitoring.
The agency is expected to review its response as surveillance activities progress and more information becomes available.
The ₦100,000 weekly stipend forms part of the emergency measures announced by the NCDC to support people affected by isolation and quarantine requirements during the response.
