Nigeria has stepped up surveillance and preparedness measures following the worsening Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention placing the country on “high alert.”
The NCDC, in a public health advisory issued on Wednesday and signed by its Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, said the decision followed a dynamic risk assessment of the evolving outbreak in the DRC and consultations with public health experts and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
The development comes as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported that the DRC had recorded 7,672 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,699 deaths as of September 20, based on data available up to September 19.
The NCDC said Nigeria was strengthening surveillance, preparedness and response activities to reduce the risk of the virus being imported into the country.
“Preparatory activities are ongoing and these measures will continue to be reviewed in line with the evolving epidemiological situation and public health risk assessment,” the agency said.
As part of the enhanced measures, the NCDC directed travellers arriving from countries with active or relevant Ebola transmission to complete a Health Declaration Form.
According to the agency, the requirement would enable health authorities to strengthen surveillance and facilitate appropriate follow-up of travellers where necessary.
“Passengers from all other countries are exempted from completing the form at this time,” the NCDC said.
The agency also urged Nigerians and travellers to remain vigilant for symptoms associated with Ebola and to seek medical attention promptly if symptoms develop.
It advised anyone who becomes symptomatic to disclose recent travel history or possible exposure to the virus to healthcare providers.
The latest figures from the ECDC showed that 886 patients were hospitalised in isolation, while the country recorded 58 additional confirmed cases and 23 deaths in the latest reporting period.
The new cases were reported in four provinces: Ituri, 38; North Kivu, 14; Haut-Uélé, five; and Tshopo, one.
The ECDC also reported that 1,879 people infected with the Bundibugyo virus had recovered, while 79.9 per cent of identified contacts in affected provinces were under follow-up.
Since its previous report on September 18, the DRC had recorded 197 new confirmed cases and 94 additional deaths.
Ituri remained the epicentre of the outbreak, accounting for 5,913 cases and 2,703 deaths across 28 of its 36 health zones, according to the ECDC.
The European agency said it had deployed two epidemiologists to the DRC to strengthen surveillance and support the country’s response to the outbreak.
The ongoing outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a species of ebolavirus.
The ECDC noted that there are currently no licensed vaccines or specific treatments for disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus, underscoring the importance of early detection, isolation, contact tracing and infection prevention measures.
Nigeria had earlier heightened its preparedness for possible importation of the virus.
In a May 2026 advisory, the NCDC assessed the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as high, citing ongoing regional transmission, international travel, population movement, major airports, seaports, land borders and trade routes.
The latest alert therefore reinforces existing surveillance and preparedness measures as health authorities continue to monitor developments in the DRC.
The NCDC said its response would remain guided by evidence, surveillance data and ongoing assessment of the public health risk.
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