The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has placed the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and nine states on heightened Ebola surveillance following an outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo strain in parts of East and Central Africa.
In a public health advisory issued to state Commissioners for Health, the agency warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of importing the virus due to increased regional transmission, cross-border movement, international travel, and porous borders.
The advisory, dated May 27, 2026, listed Lagos, the FCT, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, and Adamawa as high-risk areas because of their international airports, seaports, border routes, and heavy human traffic.
According to the NCDC, the Bundibugyo strain poses a major public health concern as there is currently no approved vaccine or targeted treatment for the variant.
“The immediate objective of our national preparedness and readiness efforts is to ensure that every state and the FCT can reasonably detect, contain, and respond swiftly to any suspected case while protecting health workers and sustaining essential health services,” the agency stated.
