The House of Representatives has called on the federal government for the immediate release of adequate funds to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) to strengthen the country’s preparedness against the growing threat of Ebola Virus Disease.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Amobi Ogah, who raised concerns over the outbreak of a rare strain of Ebola in the Turi Province of the DRC, as reported by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on May 15, 2026.
Ogah noted that the outbreak poses a significant public health risk to Nigeria due to its porous borders and high level of cross-border movement.
He recalled that on May 25, 2026, the NCDC classified Nigeria as being at high risk of Ebola importation and had activated emergency preparedness measures, including placing the National Emergency Operations Centre on alert.
Ogah expressed concern that despite the heightened risk, the NCDC has been grappling with severe funding challenges.
According to him, the agency did not receive operational funds in 2025, while no capital releases have been made against its approved 2026 budget allocation. He also described overhead releases as irregular and grossly inadequate.
He warned that the prolonged funding gap has weakened the NCDC’s capacity to carry out critical health security functions, including outbreak response operations, laboratory services, disease surveillance, logistics coordination, and emergency preparedness activities.
Ogah further disclosed that the agency is currently facing several operational challenges, including unpaid vendors for critical goods and services, stalled construction of zonal laboratories, treatment centres and isolation facilities, shortages of laboratory reagents and consumables, inadequate biosecurity infrastructure, limited intensive care and oxygen support systems, and insufficient funding for training and deployment of rapid response teams nationwide.
He cautioned that if urgent funding is not provided, Nigeria’s ability to respond effectively to the resurging Ebola threat and other epidemic-prone diseases could be severely compromised.
Hon. Billy Osawaru, who contributed to the debate, commended the sponsor of the motion and reminded Nigerians of the country’s successful containment of the 2014 Ebola outbreak after the virus was introduced by an infected traveller from Liberia.
He noted that Nigeria limited the outbreak to 20 cases and eight deaths through coordinated efforts by healthcare workers, emergency response agencies, the Federal Ministry of Health, the NCDC, and international partners.
Osawaru praised the courage and professionalism displayed by frontline health workers during the crisis, particularly the late Dr Stella Adadevoh and other medical personnel whose actions helped prevent a wider outbreak.
He further stressed that the risk of importation remains real if proactive preventive measures are not strengthened and sustained.
The House following its adoption, directed the Executive Arm of Government to immediately release funds appropriated for the NCDC to enable the agency to settle outstanding liabilities and carry out its statutory responsibilities effectively.
The lawmakers also mandated the House Committee on Infectious Diseases to monitor the utilisation of the released funds and report back to the House for further legislative action.
The House further called on relevant border and port authorities to intensify surveillance and screening activities at entry points across the country to prevent the importation of the disease, while the Committee on Legislative Compliance was tasked with ensuring full implementation of the resolutions.
