Ebola: NCDC Approves ₦100,000 Weekly Allowance for Contacts Under Quarantine
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved a weekly allowance of ₦100,000 for people placed under isolation or quarantine following possible exposure to the country’s confirmed Ebola patient.
The agency’s Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, announced the emergency intervention during a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, October 25, explaining that some contacts had complained about the cost of feeding themselves and supporting their families while complying with public health monitoring arrangements.
Idris said the payment was intended to ease the financial burden on affected individuals and encourage their cooperation with health authorities.
He explained that the NCDC was already covering accommodation and feeding expenses for people staying in designated facilities but introduced the additional allowance after some contacts requested financial support for their families.
The director-general described the intervention as an emergency measure that was not part of the agency’s original response plan.
He said the arrangement would be reviewed as the Ebola response progressed.
Idris also called on state governments to make adequate financial and logistical provisions for managing public health emergencies, stressing that the responsibility for supporting affected contacts should not rest solely on the Federal Capital Territory.
According to him, other states must be prepared to provide the resources, personnel and materials needed for contact tracing, isolation and related response activities if similar outbreaks occur within their jurisdictions.
53 Contacts Identified
The allowance comes as health authorities continue monitoring people who may have been exposed to Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case.
The NCDC identified 53 primary contacts as of its October 24 situation report. The group includes healthcare workers, household contacts and other people linked to the patient’s movements and treatment.
During Sunday’s briefing, Idris said 44 contacts were linked to the health facility where the patient received treatment, while nine others had been identified through separate interactions.
Public health teams were categorising the contacts according to their level of exposure and conducting follow-up checks.
Contacts are expected to undergo monitoring for 21 days after their last possible exposure, with anyone who develops symptoms requiring prompt assessment.
The NCDC has emphasised that being identified as a contact does not mean a person has contracted Ebola.
Nigeria Strengthens Ebola Response
Nigeria confirmed one case of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20, 2026.
The World Health Organization said the patient was a woman with a recent travel history to Uganda. She developed symptoms after arriving in Nigeria and sought medical attention at a private health facility in Abuja.
The NCDC has activated its national response arrangements to coordinate contact tracing, clinical care, laboratory investigations and infection prevention measures.
In its October 25 statement, the agency also directed public and private healthcare facilities to strengthen screening and triage, ensure the availability of appropriate protective equipment, and promptly separate suspected cases from other patients.
Healthcare workers were advised to take appropriate precautions without waiting for laboratory confirmation when Ebola is suspected.
The NCDC has urged Nigerians to cooperate with contact-tracing teams, provide accurate information about possible exposure and avoid spreading unverified claims about the outbreak.
The agency’s response remains focused on monitoring contacts, protecting healthcare workers and preventing further transmission.
