The Federal Government has confirmed a case of the Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) following laboratory confirmation on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
According to a statement issued by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the patient is a female traveler who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda.
She was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received care for several days before laboratory tests confirmed the diagnosis. She has since been moved into isolation and is receiving medical care.
In response to the development, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, alongside the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), is collaborating closely with the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other key stakeholders to contain the infection and prevent further transmission.
Public health teams have launched aggressive contact tracing, identifying 44 close contacts so far, which include healthcare workers, patients, caregivers, and travel associates who may have been exposed. Surveillance has been heightened across health facilities, and the hospital handling the case is receiving immediate assistance to reinforce infection prevention and control measures.
The Federal Government has placed public and private healthcare facilities nationwide on high alert. Healthcare personnel have been directed to maintain a high index of suspicion, quickly isolate suspected cases, adhere strictly to safety protocols, and promptly report any red flags to public health authorities.
Reassuring the public, the government noted that Nigeria successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 and possesses the requisite experience and public health infrastructure to manage the current situation.
Authorities have urged citizens to remain calm, stay vigilant, practice regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with body fluids of suspected cases, and report any symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting, or diarrhea immediately through the NCDC toll-free emergency number, 6232.
