By Ayodele Oni
Following the confirmation of Ebola disease in Abuja, the House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to urgently release outstanding funds appropriated to health agencies and intensify emergency measures to prevent the spread of the Disease.
The lawmakers also urged the government to place federal and state health institutions, including private healthcare providers on alert to strengthen surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing and emergency medical response.
The resolutions were adopted on Wednesday after the House considered a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the member representing Isuikwato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State, Amobi Ogah.
Moving the motion, Ogah warned that Ebola posed a serious public health threat requiring early detection, effective infection control and coordinated intervention to prevent further transmission.
“It is extremely disturbing that yesterday, October 20, 2026, an Ebola virus case was confirmed in a woman arriving from Uganda in Abuja who tested positive.
“Health authorities traced 44 contacts for isolation and further tests,” the lawmaker said.
He cautioned that delays in identifying suspected cases, conducting laboratory investigations, isolating infected persons and tracing their contacts could increase the risk of transmission and place additional pressure on the country’s healthcare system.
Ogah also expressed concern that inadequate public awareness, shortages of infection prevention and control materials, insufficient training for healthcare workers and limited emergency response capacity could undermine containment efforts.
“The House is further concerned that inadequate public awareness, insufficient infection prevention and control supplies, gaps in healthcare workers’ preparedness, and limited emergency response capacity could undermine efforts to prevent and contain the Ebola outbreak.”
The lawmaker emphasised the need for coordinated action involving the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, ( NCDC) and Prevention, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, state health ministries, port health authorities and other relevant agencies.
He also called for collaboration with the World Health Organisation and other international and regional public health institutions to ensure that Nigeria’s response was guided by current scientific evidence and international health regulations.
Presiding over the plenary, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu led the House in unanimously adopting the motion.
Following the adoption, the lawmakers urged the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Finance, to release all outstanding appropriated funds to relevant health agencies without further delay.
The House noted that the funding was necessary to enable the agencies to discharge their responsibilities effectively as the country intensified surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory investigations and other emergency interventions.
It also called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the NCDC to determine the additional resources required to improve Nigeria’s preparedness and response capacity, taking into account current epidemiological evidence and public health guidelines.
As part of its oversight measures, the House mandated its Committee on Infectious Diseases to engage relevant ministries, departments, agencies and public health institutions to obtain updates on the reported case and the measures being implemented to prevent further transmission.
The committee is expected to report its findings to the House for further legislative action.
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