The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved an emergency allowance of ₦100,000 per person weekly for individuals placed in isolation or quarantine following a confirmed Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, October 25, 2026, explaining that some contacts had expressed concerns about providing for their families while undergoing mandatory monitoring.
Idris said the agency was already covering accommodation and feeding expenses but decided to introduce the stipend to ease additional financial burdens and encourage cooperation with containment measures.
“We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding. Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families,” he said.
He described the payment as an emergency intervention that was not part of the agency’s original response plan, adding that it would be reviewed as the situation evolved.
The NCDC chief also called on state governments to make adequate financial, personnel and logistical preparations for potential public health emergencies, stressing that the responsibility should not rest solely on the FCT.
“This is not the responsibility of the FCT alone. What we have to do for the FCT, we have to do for any other state, just in case,” he stated.
According to Idris, Nigeria had recorded one confirmed Ebola case as of Sunday’s briefing, while 53 primary contacts had been identified for monitoring. They included healthcare workers, household members, domestic staff and personnel involved in collecting samples from the patient.
He said response teams were assessing contacts based on their levels of exposure and conducting regular follow-up checks. Anyone who develops symptoms would be promptly assessed and tested.
Contacts requiring accommodation were being provided with isolation arrangements, while monitoring would continue for 21 days after their last possible exposure.
Idris disclosed that one contact who reported feeling unwell had tested negative, adding that surveillance activities were ongoing.
The agency is also strengthening infection prevention measures in healthcare facilities, training health workers and supporting access to protective equipment and laboratory supplies.
The confirmed patient is a woman who travelled to Nigeria from Uganda and tested positive for Bundibugyo virus disease, a form of Ebola virus disease. According to the timeline provided by health authorities, she developed symptoms on October 7, sought medical attention in Abuja on October 11 and received a confirmed diagnosis on October 20.
The World Health Organisation identified the case as imported, while investigations continued to establish the likely source of exposure.
Idris said Nigeria was drawing on lessons from its 2014 Ebola response to strengthen preparedness across the country.
He urged Nigerians to rely on verified public health information, avoid spreading rumours and cooperate with officials carrying out contact tracing and monitoring.
