The Federal Government has confirmed an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory, with health authorities tracing 44 identified contacts in a bid to prevent further transmission of the virus.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the development in a statement on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the infection.
According to the minister, the patient is a woman who recently travelled to Nigeria from Uganda on an international flight and was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the infection was confirmed.
The woman has since been isolated and is receiving medical care, the statement said.
Pate said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other relevant agencies were working together to contain the case and prevent further spread.
He disclosed that public health teams had commenced contact tracing, with investigations focusing on the 44 identified contacts and efforts under way to identify other people who might have been exposed to the patient.
Those being investigated include healthcare workers, other patients, caregivers and individuals who may have travelled with the woman.
The government has also strengthened disease surveillance and is providing support to the private hospital where the patient was treated to reinforce infection prevention and control measures.
As part of efforts to prevent the virus from spreading, the Federal Government has directed public and private health facilities across the country to remain alert and report suspected cases promptly.
Healthcare workers have been instructed to maintain a high level of suspicion, isolate suspected cases without delay, observe strict infection prevention protocols and notify public health authorities immediately.
Pate urged Nigerians not to panic but to remain vigilant and observe preventive measures, including regular handwashing and avoiding contact with the blood and other body fluids of suspected or confirmed Ebola patients.
He identified fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea among the symptoms requiring attention, particularly in people who may have been exposed to the virus.
The minister advised anyone who develops such symptoms to avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility.
He also appealed to individuals contacted by disease surveillance teams, including passengers who may have been exposed during the patient's flight, to cooperate with the ongoing investigations.
The latest confirmation comes amid concerns over Ebola transmission in the region. In an advisory issued on October 6, the NCDC warned of the possibility of the virus entering Nigeria following a confirmed case in Kenya linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of infected people, as well as contaminated objects and surfaces.
The global health agency notes that infected individuals do not transmit the virus before symptoms develop, while the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
Nigeria experienced an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller introduced the virus into the country. The outbreak was contained through rapid identification of cases, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health interventions.
Pate said Nigeria's previous experience and existing public health infrastructure would support its response to the latest case, but emphasised that public cooperation remained essential to containing the infection.
The Federal Government said investigations were continuing and that the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease and the NCDC would provide further updates as necessary.
Members of the public seeking information or wishing to report a suspected case can contact the NCDC's toll-free call centre on 6232, which operates round the clock.
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