Nigeria’s ₦10 billion Ebola fund to also tackle Lassa fever and other diseases

Nigeria’s ₦10 billion Ebola fund, approved in June 2026, will also be used to fight Lassa fever and other endemic illnesses, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said on Monday. Director‑general Dr Jide Idris explained that the money, set aside before the country recorded its first imported Ebola case on October 20, covers personal protective equipment, laboratory reagents, contact‑tracing teams and the repair of treatment centres across the nation.

The federal government authorised the ₦10 billion allocation on June 9, 2026, creating a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats. The task force was formed after a stakeholder meeting reviewed Nigeria’s readiness for a possible Ebola importation, a statement from the State House confirmed. Although the fund was earmarked for Ebola, Idris said the request deliberately included other public‑health threats because the same surveillance and response mechanisms apply to diseases such as Lassa fever.

In an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today, Idris stressed that the fund was not a reaction to an existing outbreak but a pre‑emptive measure. He noted that the money was requested before the index Ebola patient was identified and medically evacuated to Switzerland, and that the funds would now support the ongoing monitoring of 54 contacts who remain under observation. “We still have to provide feeding, accommodation and other support while they are monitored,” he told reporters.

The director‑general outlined how the ₦10 billion will be spent under the eight pillars of outbreak control. Resources will purchase personal protective equipment for health workers, laboratory consumables for testing, fuel and transport for rapid response teams, and will finance the repair of damaged isolation and treatment centres, including the facility in Abuja. Idris added that many of these items are also essential for the upcoming Lassa fever season, which typically sees a surge in cases between November and April.

Lassa fever, an endemic viral haemorrhagic disease, is expected to rise as the rainy season approaches. The NCDC has repeatedly urged state governments to allocate resources for preparedness, noting that the surveillance measures for Ebola mirror those needed for Lassa fever. By using the Ebola fund for both threats, the government hopes to avoid duplication of effort and ensure that laboratories, protective gear and contact‑tracing teams are ready for any surge.

The decision to broaden the fund’s scope reflects a wider public‑health strategy in Nigeria. The country’s health system relies on a tiered network of primary, secondary and tertiary facilities, each of which must be equipped to detect and contain outbreaks. Central funding that can be flexibly deployed helps state health ministries avoid gaps that might otherwise arise when separate budgets are earmarked for each disease. In practice, a single shipment of PPE can protect staff on an Ebola ward and later be redirected to a Lassa fever isolation unit, maximising the value of every naira spent.

The allocation has become a point of political debate ahead of the 2027 elections. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticised a statement from the APC presidential campaign council that claimed the fund remained untouched, demanding a full public account of expenditures. The council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, responded that the NCDC, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and other agencies were already drawing on other available resources to manage the outbreak. Idris rejected any suggestion that the health crisis was being politicised, insisting that disease control would never be used as a political weapon.

While the exact amount released or spent from the ₦10 billion has not been disclosed, the NCDC confirmed that the fund is actively supporting the current response. The agency continues to track the 54 Ebola contacts, providing them with food, shelter and medical oversight until the monitoring period ends. At the same time, preparations for Lassa fever are under way, with health workers being equipped with the same protective kits and testing supplies earmarked for Ebola.

Beyond the immediate logistics, the fund’s flexibility is intended to strengthen Nigeria’s overall epidemic preparedness. The eight pillars mentioned by Idris include surveillance, laboratory capacity, case management, risk communication, logistics, infection prevention, coordination and financing. Each pillar is a building block that, when fully operational, creates a resilient system capable of handling both imported threats like Ebola and home‑grown ones such as Lassa fever. Strengthening laboratory reagents, for example, shortens the time between sample collection and diagnosis, a factor that can dramatically reduce transmission chains.

Community engagement also features in the next phase of the plan. NCDC officials have said they will scale up awareness campaigns in rural and urban areas, teaching residents how to recognise early symptoms and when to seek care. Such outreach is especially important in the Lassa fever season, when rodent‑borne transmission tends to increase as people store food for the rainy months. By leveraging the same communication channels set up for Ebola, the health ministry hopes to reach a wider audience without starting from scratch.

Infrastructure upgrades are another critical component. The repair of damaged isolation and treatment centres, including the one in Abuja, is slated to proceed alongside routine maintenance of existing facilities. In past outbreaks, inadequate isolation spaces have forced patients to be treated in makeshift wards, heightening the risk of nosocomial infection. The infusion of funds aims to ensure that every state has at least one fully functional centre that meets international standards for infection control.

Looking ahead, the NCDC says the next steps involve reinforcing laboratory capacity in all states and ensuring that isolation centres are fully operational before the Lassa season peaks. Idris indicated that the government will keep the public informed about the disbursement of the fund and the outcomes of the surveillance activities. As Nigeria navigates the dual challenge of an imported Ebola case and an imminent Lassa fever wave, the ₦10 billion Ebola fund stands as a critical financial tool for safeguarding public health.

The agency has not released a detailed ledger of how much of the allocation has already been drawn down, but it affirmed that expenditures are ongoing and aligned with the eight‑pillar framework. Officials expect periodic updates to Parliament and the public as the monitoring of Ebola contacts concludes and the Lassa fever season gains momentum. This transparency, they say, will help reassure citizens that the money is being used effectively and not being diverted for other purposes.

In the coming weeks, health workers across the federation will receive the final batches of PPE and testing kits, while mobile teams prepare to deploy to hotspots identified through enhanced surveillance. The coordinated effort, underpinned by the ₦10 billion fund, aims to keep both Ebola and Lassa fever under control, limiting the impact on communities and the broader economy.