…Plans early detect and respond to emerging Infectious disease threats 

The Federal Executive Council (FEC), on Wednesday approved ₦45.08 billion investment to deploy an integrated biosecurity and disease surveillance system.

Ali Pate, Minister of Health and Coordinating Minister of Social Welfare, who disclosed this while briefing State House Journalists, after the Federal Executive Council FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu, said the equipment will be domiciled at five international airports, aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to detect and respond to emerging infectious disease threats.

He disclosed that the project will be delivered through a 20-year public-private partnership with the BioHealth Consortium.

It will use technologies including aircraft wastewater surveillance, air and surface sampling, and specialised pathogen detection systems.

The five airports covered are Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu. Pate said the system is expected to monitor a range of dangerous pathogens, improve inter-agency coordination and strengthen health security at the country’s borders.

He also confirmed that an Ebola patient recorded in October had recovered, while contact tracing and other containment measures continued to prevent community transmission.

“Since COVID, we have known that there are significant vulnerabilities in terms of public health threats crossing borders, and the need for coordinated technology-driven systems for early warning, detection and response to emerging infectious disease threats,” the minister said.

He said Nigeria receives more than 18 million passengers annually through its airports, making effective disease surveillance essential to protecting public health and economic activities.

“The implementation of this system will support evidence-based decision-making, improve inter-agency coordination, compliance with international health regulations, and our ability to deploy more advanced technologies beyond what we currently have,” he said.

The Minister identified the five international airports designated for the initial phase of implementation as Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; Port Harcourt International Airport; and Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

Pate explained that the initiative would incorporate advanced pathogen detection and monitoring technologies, including aircraft wastewater surveillance, air and surface sampling systems, as well as specialised biosurveillance equipment for screening cargo and baggage to identify potential biological threats.

“This is not Ebola. It is all pathogens of huge public health threats,” he said, explaining that the system would be designed to detect a broad range of dangerous pathogens rather than focus on a single disease.

The Minister explained that the approval was informed by concerns over emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, particularly Ebola, underscoring the importance of reinforcing health security measures at the country’s international entry points.

Pate also reported that Nigeria had recorded an Ebola infection in October, stating that the affected patient had recovered, while health authorities continued contact tracing, surveillance and other precautionary interventions.

He maintained that the government had activated appropriate containment protocols to minimise the risk of further transmission and prevent the disease from spreading within communities.

“Our goal is to contain it. We don’t want to be in a situation whereby we have community transmission,” he said.

The minister explained that the government was monitoring people who had come into contact with the infected person to ensure they complied with quarantine requirements.

Speaking on financial assistance for quarantined individuals, Pate explained that the support was designed to promote adherence to public health protocols and ensure effective implementation of disease containment measures.

The Minister noted that mandatory quarantine could deprive affected individuals of their regular earnings, potentially undermining compliance with isolation requirements, particularly among those with family responsibilities and limited financial resources.

“They have a livelihood, and you ask them to stay in quarantine. They have a family. The compliance with that quarantine, they may find ways to evade it, and that will put everybody at risk,” he said.

“When pathogens come and disrupt, economic activities also suffer,” he said.

Pate described the airport biosecurity initiative as a strategic investment in national health security, designed to enhance Nigeria’s capacity to anticipate, detect and respond to emerging public health threats while safeguarding economic stability against the potential consequences of infectious disease outbreaks