The Federal Government has confirmed one case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with 44 close contacts identified as authorities intensify efforts to prevent further transmission.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the case.
According to the statement, the patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda. She was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the infection was confirmed.
The woman is currently in isolation and receiving medical care.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are working with other relevant authorities to contain the infection.
Public health teams have commenced contact tracing, including efforts to identify and monitor healthcare workers, patients, caregivers, airline passengers and other individuals who may have been exposed to the virus.
Surveillance has also been intensified, while the hospital where the patient was treated is receiving support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The government has directed public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain on high alert, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, adhere to strict infection prevention protocols and immediately report suspected infections to public health authorities.
Pate urged Nigerians to remain calm and observe preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding contact with the blood or other body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola.
Symptoms to watch for include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly among people who may have been exposed to the virus.
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The minister advised anyone who develops symptoms to avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility.
He also urged individuals contacted during the tracing exercise, including potentially exposed airline passengers, to cooperate with public health officials and comply with their instructions.
The confirmation comes amid concerns over Ebola transmission in the region. In an advisory issued on October 6, the NCDC warned of the risk of importing the infection following a confirmed case in Kenya linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The World Health Organisation says Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of infected people, as well as contaminated objects and surfaces. Infected individuals do not transmit the virus before symptoms appear, and the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Nigeria successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 through rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.
Reassuring Nigerians, Pate said the country had the experience and public health systems needed to respond to the current case, while emphasising that public cooperation would be crucial to preventing further transmission.
The government said investigations were ongoing and that the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease, alongside the NCDC, would continue to provide updates.
Members of the public can contact the NCDC’s toll-free call centre on 6232, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for information or to report a suspected case.