The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has approved a weekly payment of ₦100,000 per person for individuals placed in isolation or quarantine following an imported Ebola case in Abuja, amid concerns over the financial burden of complying with public health monitoring.
Key Highlights
- NCDC approves ₦100,000 weekly stipend per person for Ebola contacts in isolation or quarantine.
- The agency is also providing accommodation and feeding for affected individuals.
- Dr. Jide Idris says other states must prepare to bear similar costs if cases emerge.
- 53 primary contacts are being monitored; one who felt unwell tested negative.
- The Abuja case is the Bundibugyo strain, confirmed on October 20, 2026.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed this on Sunday during a briefing on Nigeria’s response to the outbreak, saying the emergency support was introduced after some contacts complained about the cost of feeding, accommodation and maintaining their families while under monitoring.
Idris said the agency has begun providing accommodation and feeding for affected individuals, adding that the weekly stipend is intended to ease their financial difficulties and encourage compliance with public health measures.
“We are providing N100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding, because they were complaining,” he said.
The NCDC chief explained that the payment was not part of the agency’s original plan, but became necessary because of the circumstances surrounding the outbreak.
He said the arrangement would be reviewed as the response progressed.
States Told To Prepare
Idris also warned that the Federal Capital Territory should not be left alone to shoulder the financial and logistical burden of managing the outbreak, stressing that other states must be prepared to provide similar support if Ebola cases emerge within their jurisdictions.
According to him, state governments must make adequate provisions for contact tracing, isolation facilities and other emergency response activities.
53 Contacts Under Monitoring
The intervention comes as health authorities intensify surveillance following the confirmation of an imported case of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus in Abuja on October 20, 2026.
The patient, a woman who travelled to Nigeria from Uganda, reportedly developed symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention in Abuja on October 11 before testing positive nine days later.
Idris said 53 primary contacts had been identified and were being monitored. They include healthcare workers, household members, domestic staff and personnel involved in collecting samples from the patient.
He added that contacts were being assessed according to their level of exposure, while anyone who developed symptoms would undergo further medical evaluation and testing.
The NCDC also established isolation arrangements for contacts requiring them, with health officials monitoring their condition throughout the 21-day incubation period following their last possible exposure.
Idris disclosed that one contact who reported feeling unwell had tested negative for Ebola, while surveillance and follow-up activities continued.
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The agency is also strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities, training health workers and supporting the availability of protective equipment and laboratory supplies.
The World Health Organisation has described the case as an imported infection, with investigations continuing to establish the likely source of exposure.
Idris urged Nigerians to rely on verified information, avoid spreading rumours and cooperate with public health officials carrying out contact tracing and monitoring.
Nigeria previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 through contact tracing, isolation, rapid identification of cases and coordinated public health interventions.
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