The Federal Government has confirmed one case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with public health authorities identifying 44 close contacts.
The Coordinating 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 case.
According to the statement, the patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda.
It explains that she was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed. She is currently in isolation and receiving medical care.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are working together to contain the infection and has began contact tracing to prevent further spread.
According to the statement the minister says public health teams had begun identifying and monitoring people who might have been exposed to the virus, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
“Surveillance has also been intensified, while the hospital is receiving support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures”.
“The government has urged public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain alert, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe strict infection prevention protocols and immediately report suspected infections to public health authorities”.
It advises Nigerians to watch for symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, particularly after possible exposure to the virus.
“Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person who has symptoms or has died from the disease, as well as through contaminated materials”.
The government disclosed that Nigeria had successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 and had experience and public health systems to respond to the latest case.
“Members of the public can contact the NCDC’s toll-free call centre on 6232, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for information or to report a suspected case”.
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