Ebola: Tinubu’s Presidential Committee is timely and crucial for preparedness – Abayomi

BY Chioma Obinna

On Wednesday, Lagos State Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi praised President Bola Tinubu’s creation of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, calling it a timely and strategic step to bolster Nigeria’s health security.

He shared the comments on his X account (@ProfAkinAvayomi) following the committee’s inauguration at the State House in Abuja on June 17, as worries mount over the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

Abayomi said the President’s decision to form the task force was appropriate, as it strengthens the nation’s preparedness framework against potential virus importation.

“The establishment of this committee is timely and strategic. Preparedness is always the first line of defence in public health emergencies, and Mr President has demonstrated leadership by acting early,” Abayomi wrote on X.

The task force, chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and coordinated by Dr. Jide Idris, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, is slated to oversee national preparedness, enhance surveillance, curb Ebola importation, and guarantee swift responses to emerging public health threats.

Abayomi highlighted Lagos’s central role in Nigeria’s preparedness, citing its status as the country’s primary international gateway.

He added that more than 70 percent of Nigeria’s international passenger traffic transits through Murtala Muhammed International Airport, rendering the state especially susceptible to imported infectious diseases.

“Lagos remains at the frontline of national health security. Strengthening surveillance at our airports, seaports and border points is critical to preventing disease importation and protecting lives,” he stated.

He said Lagos will keep bolstering preventive measures under Operation Lagos BioShield, which includes passenger monitoring, contact tracing, and public awareness initiatives.

He noted that Lagos’s experience in containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak, and in managing COVID-19, cholera, Lassa fever, and diphtheria, has greatly enhanced its public health response capabilities.

Although Nigeria has no confirmed Ebola cases, Abayomi emphasized that vigilance and early action are the nation’s best defense against any emerging threat.