NCDC approves N100,000 weekly stipend for Ebola contacts

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has approved an emergency allowance of ₦100,000 per person weekly for individuals placed in isolation or quarantine following the confirmed Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory.

NCDC Director-General Dr Jide Idris announced the intervention at a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, October 25, saying some contacts had raised concerns about supporting their families while undergoing mandatory monitoring. He said the agency was already covering accommodation and feeding, but introduced the allowance to ease additional financial pressures and encourage cooperation with containment measures.

“We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding. Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families,” Idris said. He described the payment as an emergency measure outside the agency’s original response plan, adding that it would be reviewed as the situation developed.

Idris also urged state governments to prepare funding, personnel and supplies for possible public health emergencies rather than leaving the burden to the FCT. “This is not the responsibility of the FCT alone. What we have to do for the FCT, we have to do for any other state, just in case,” he said.

According to Idris, Nigeria had recorded one confirmed case as of the briefing, while 53 primary contacts had been identified for monitoring. They included healthcare workers, household members, domestic staff and personnel involved in collecting samples from the patient.

He said response teams were assessing contacts according to their exposure levels and conducting follow-up checks. Anyone developing symptoms would be promptly assessed and tested. Contacts requiring accommodation were being provided with isolation arrangements, with monitoring continuing for 21 days after their last possible exposure. Idris said one contact who reported feeling unwell had tested negative, while surveillance activities remained ongoing.

The agency was also strengthening infection prevention measures in healthcare facilities, training personnel and supporting access to protective equipment and laboratory supplies. The confirmed patient is a woman who travelled to Nigeria from Uganda and tested positive for Bundibugyo virus disease. According to the timeline provided by health authorities, she developed symptoms on October 7, sought treatment in Abuja on October 11 and received a confirmed diagnosis on October 20.

The World Health Organisation identified the case as imported, while investigations continued into the likely source of exposure. Idris said Nigeria was drawing on experience from its 2014 Ebola response and strengthening preparedness across states. He urged Nigerians to follow verified public health information, avoid rumours and cooperate with officials conducting contact tracing and monitoring.