The Lagos State Government has intensified efforts to prevent the importation of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) into Nigeria, with the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, leading a high-powered delegation on an inspection and preparedness tour of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The visit comes amid growing concerns over the resurgence of Ebola in parts of East and Central Africa and forms part of the state’s proactive measures to strengthen surveillance and response systems at Nigeria’s busiest international gateway.
The delegation included the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide; Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health, Dr. Ismail Abdus-Salam; and strategic leaders of the Lagos State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC).
They were received by the Airport Manager and Regional General Manager, South-West MMIA, Mr. Olatokunbo Arewa, alongside senior airport health and aviation officials.
During the visit, officials reviewed existing operational frameworks, passenger movement systems, infection prevention and control measures, emergency preparedness protocols, and opportunities for enhanced collaboration to prevent the entry and spread of Ebola and other infectious diseases.
Speaking during the engagement, Prof. Abayomi recalled Nigeria’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014 following the importation of the virus into Lagos from Liberia during the largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history.
“Almost eleven years ago, we experienced the importation of Ebola into Lagos from Liberia during the largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history. We were able to contain what became a relatively small outbreak in Lagos, thanks to the sacrifices of dedicated healthcare workers, including the late Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh,” he said.
According to the Commissioner, the experience remains one of the most significant public health lessons in Nigeria’s history and underscores the need for continuous preparedness in the face of emerging infectious diseases.
He noted that diseases such as Ebola, COVID-19 and Lassa fever continue to pose major threats due to increased global travel and interconnectedness.
Abayomi stressed that lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the importance of collaboration between Lagos State and federal agencies operating at MMIA, resulting in one of the country’s most effective passenger surveillance systems.
Describing MMIA as Nigeria’s most critical point of entry, accounting for about 70 per cent of international passenger traffic, he said the airport remains the most likely route for imported infections.
“The primary purpose of our visit is to understand how we can support your efforts, identify existing gaps and jointly develop practical solutions. Our objective is to create a bottleneck for the virus, not for passengers,” he stated.
He added that Lagos State was focused on strengthening early detection systems, rapid isolation procedures, safe evacuation of suspected cases, and improved digital monitoring of travellers arriving from countries considered high risk.
The Commissioner also advocated measures to minimise interaction between passengers arriving from designated high-risk countries and other travellers while maintaining efficient passenger flow.
In her remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, emphasised that disease prevention and control require sustained collaboration among all levels of government and health stakeholders.
She said the visit was intended not only to assess preparedness measures but also to reassure frontline personnel of the state’s support.
“The frontline actually begins here at our ports of entry. As passengers arrive, you are among the very first people to interact with them, making your role critical in our disease surveillance and response efforts,” she said.
Ogunyemi conveyed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s goodwill to airport personnel and described health security as a critical component of national security.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, commended the management of MMIA, Port Health Services, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and other stakeholders for their cooperation.
She praised frontline workers for their vigilance and professionalism, urging them to remain committed to Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols.
“As frontline responders, your safety is paramount. Continue to follow all IPC measures diligently because while you are protecting Nigeria from potential health threats, you must also ensure that you are protected from exposure and risk,” she said.
Earlier, Airport Manager Mr. Olatokunbo Arewa reaffirmed MMIA’s commitment to preventing the entry of Ebola into Nigeria.
He disclosed that the airport had begun deploying additional preparedness infrastructure, including touchless hand sanitiser dispensers and temperature-detection equipment, while plans were underway to further strengthen screening operations.
Arewa noted that MMIA’s collaboration with Lagos State dates back to the COVID-19 era and expressed confidence that the partnership would continue to play a key role in addressing emerging public health threats.
“We would like this collaboration to continue, particularly in emergency response. Ebola is a highly dangerous disease and any suspected case must be isolated quickly and professionally to prevent transmission,” he said.
He also revealed that authorities were considering dedicated arrival processing channels for passengers arriving from high-risk countries as part of enhanced surveillance efforts.
Providing an update on preparedness efforts, the Head of Port Health Services at MMIA, Dr. Lawal Abdullahi, disclosed that the airport reviewed and updated its Public Health Emergency Contingency Plan on March 18, 2026, ahead of the recent Ebola developments in East Africa.
According to him, the Airport Public Health Emergency Management Team has been activated, while a comprehensive risk assessment has been conducted to identify countries of concern and guide surveillance measures.
Abdullahi said Port Health Services had already developed and deployed passenger screening mechanisms before the activation of the national health declaration platform and continued to share relevant traveller information with Lagos State epidemiology and surveillance teams.
He added that discussions were ongoing to improve access to passenger surveillance information for state authorities to strengthen follow-up activities and coordination.
Also speaking, the General Manager, Aviation Medical Services, FAAN, Dr. Bilkis Ibrahim, said collaboration among FAAN, Port Health Services, NCAA and other stakeholders remained strong, supported by continuous information sharing and coordinated planning.
She disclosed that additional personal protective equipment, awareness materials, multilingual public health messages and staff training programmes were being deployed to strengthen preparedness.
Similarly, NCAA Aeromedical Assessor, Dr. Abayomi Asunbo, announced that the regulatory agency had directed airlines operating designated routes to comply fully with public health protocols before passengers are allowed entry into Nigeria.
The Head of Department, Medical Services, MMIA, Dr. Uche Ofoegbu, also said airport stakeholders had intensified sensitisation campaigns and educational outreach to ensure personnel understand their responsibilities in surveillance, infection prevention, isolation and emergency response.
The inspection tour concluded with a walkthrough of key airport facilities and screening points, during which Lagos State officials, airport authorities and federal agencies reaffirmed their commitment to enhanced collaboration, information sharing and coordinated preparedness measures aimed at protecting Lagos, Nigeria and international travellers from Ebola and other infectious disease outbreaks.
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