By Stephen Simon
Nigeria’s Federal Government has quarantined high-risk contacts of the country’s first confirmed Ebola case but said political campaigns, conferences and other public gatherings can continue for now.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the government would review its position if the evolving public health situation justified restrictions.
The confirmed patient, a woman who arrived in Nigeria from Uganda, was admitted to a private hospital in the Federal Capital Territory before laboratory tests confirmed the infection on October 20.
According to the Federal Government, contact tracing has identified 44 people who may have been exposed to the virus, including healthcare workers and other contacts.
Pate said high-risk contacts had been placed in designated quarantine facilities, while other identified individuals were being monitored under public health supervision.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is coordinating the response, with hospitals directed to strengthen infection prevention measures, prepare isolation facilities and remain alert for suspected cases.
The government said the response would continue to be guided by scientific evidence as authorities work to prevent further transmission.
The development has raised public health concerns as Nigeria prepares for increased political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
