Nigeria has made measurable progress in Ebola virus disease preparedness over the past decade, particularly in surveillance systems, laboratory diagnostics, and genomic sequencing capacity.
However, experts warn that significant gaps persist in the country’s response architecture, raising concerns about readiness for future outbreaks of Ebola and other emerging infectious diseases.
Speaking during a special SHARPER project plenary session at the 4th Ibadan International Public Health Conference themed “Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness and Response Capacity in Nigeria,” Dr Adedayo Faneye of the Department of Virology, University of Ibadan, said preparedness remains uneven and incomplete, especially in infection prevention and control.
She noted that weaknesses in isolation facilities, biosafety practices, and healthcare worker protection remain major risks that could accelerate transmission during an outbreak.
Dr. Faneye also highlighted disparities across states, stating that while urban centres such as Lagos and Abuja may have stronger systems, several border and rural states remain under-resourced and less prepared. These gaps, she warned, could allow outbreaks to spread before detection.
She described Nigeria’s entry-point surveillance as insufficiently robust, citing porous land borders and inconsistent airport screening as factors increasing the risk of disease importation in a highly mobile global environment.
She also questioned the sustainability of recent preparedness funding, stressing the need for long-term financing, accountability, and structured planning rather than reactive spending during crises.
While acknowledging improvements in laboratory capacity, she emphasised that these gains must be matched with stronger infection prevention systems to protect frontline health workers.
According to her, diagnostic capacity alone is not enough if biosafety standards are not consistently enforced across health facilities.
She further stressed that public trust is critical for effective outbreak control, warning that even strong surveillance systems can fail without community confidence and timely reporting.
Dr. Faneye also called for a One Health approach, noting that Ebola is linked to animal reservoirs such as bats, and urged greater investment in research, locally driven diagnostics, genomic surveillance, vaccine development, and the use of artificial intelligence in outbreak prediction.
She concluded that strengthening Nigeria’s health security requires coordinated action across surveillance, laboratories, infection control, workforce capacity, community engagement, and sustainable financing.
Also speaking, Prof Ademola Ajuwon, SHARPER project’s prinicipal investigator, said pandemics are inevitable, stressing that the world must prepare for “when, not if.”
He highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration among health experts to strengthen early detection and coordinated response systems.
Prof. Ajuwon also emphasized community engagement, noting that trust between health authorities and the public is essential for compliance during outbreaks.
He warned against the spread of misinformation, particularly on social media, urging the public to verify health information before sharing, as false information can undermine response efforts and endanger lives.
The Director of Public Health at the Ministry of Health, Dr Akintunde Babatunde, however declared that Oyo state has strengthened its Ebola preparedness by activating emergency response systems, expanding surveillance, and improving coordination and risk communication in response to outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
He explained that Oyo State’s strategy focuses on preventing importation, ensuring early detection, and mounting rapid response because the state has a medium-risk for the pandemic due to its geographic and mobility-related exposure.
Dr. Babatunde acknowledged that infection prevention and control remains a key challenge but said efforts are ongoing to strengthen compliance and protect healthcare workers.
WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV