Lagos steps up Ebola preparedness: isolation centre upgraded, 24-hour test target

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Nigeria's federal government confirmed on October 20 an imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease in Abuja, in a woman who had recently travelled from Uganda. Lagos Health Commissioner Akin Abayomi said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had instructed the state to stay on maximum alert, and that the state's Emergency Operations Centre had run simulation drills before the Abuja case was confirmed.

Abayomi listed seven preparedness areas: emergency response simulations, isolation facilities, health-worker training, laboratory testing, research, screening at entry points and digital disease surveillance. The state is upgrading its isolation facilities and building a testing pathway aimed at delivering results within 24 hours; published reports did not give the number of isolation beds or a date for the added capacity.

Residents are advised to wash hands regularly with soap and water, avoid contact with the blood or body fluids of sick people, and — if they develop fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, or think they may have been exposed — not to self-medicate but to call health authorities before visiting a facility. Suspected cases or exposures can be reported on the Lagos emergency numbers 112 or 767, or to the Directorate of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health on 0802 316 9485.

Source: Lagos State Health Commissioner statement, as reported by ThisDay and Premium Times on October 24, 2026; the Abuja confirmation date and the patient's travel history are as published by the federal government and the World Health Organization.