The Federal Government has confirmed an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and identified 44 contacts of the infected woman as health authorities intensify efforts to prevent the disease from spreading.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the infection.
According to the minister, the patient recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda and was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed.
The woman is currently in isolation and receiving medical care, while public health officials have begun tracing people who may have been exposed to the virus.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are coordinating the response alongside other relevant authorities.
The government said the 44 identified contacts were being monitored, while efforts continued to identify other potentially exposed persons, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and people who travelled with the patient.
Surveillance has also been intensified, and the hospital where the woman was treated is receiving support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
The government has directed public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain vigilant, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, maintain strict infection prevention protocols and immediately report suspected infections to public health authorities.
Pate urged Nigerians to remain calm and observe preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding contact with the blood and other body fluids of people suspected of having the disease.
Symptoms to watch for include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly among people who may have been exposed to the virus.
The minister advised anyone who develops symptoms after possible exposure to avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility.
The government also appealed to people contacted during the tracing exercise, including potentially exposed airline passengers, to cooperate with health officials and comply with their instructions.
The confirmation comes amid concerns about Ebola cases reported in parts of the region. Nigeria’s disease control agency had earlier issued an advisory on the risk of importing the infection following a confirmed case in Kenya linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to the World Health Organisation, Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of infected people, as well as contaminated objects and surfaces. Infected people do not transmit the virus before symptoms appear, and the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Nigeria previously contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 through measures that included rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.
Pate said Nigeria had the experience and public health systems needed to respond to the latest case, but stressed that public cooperation would be essential to preventing further transmission.
The government said investigations were ongoing and that the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease and the NCDC would continue to provide updates.
Members of the public can contact the NCDC’s toll-free call centre on 6232, available 24 hours a day, for information or to report a suspected case.
