Nigeria confirms Ebola case in Abuja, begins contact tracing

Nigeria is on high alert after the federal government confirmed one case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.

The patient, a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, is currently in isolation and receiving medical care at a private hospital in the FCT, according to a statement signed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate.

Contact tracing has commenced, with 44 close contacts identified so far, according to the statement. The contacts include healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts, while public health teams are identifying and monitoring people who may have been exposed.

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“The FG calls on all public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to be on high alert. Healthcare workers must maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention and control measures, and immediately report suspected cases to public health authorities,” it noted.