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The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and commenced contact tracing to prevent further transmission of the potentially fatal infection.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the development on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of the infection.
According to the minister, the patient is a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda.
Ebola is a severe viral disease that can cause fever, weakness, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in some cases, internal or external bleeding.
It spreads primarily through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person who has developed symptoms, or through contaminated objects and materials.
People do not transmit Ebola before developing symptoms.
The incubation period—the time between infection and the onset of symptoms—ranges from two to 21 days.
The Ebola case that was confirmed was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received medical care for several days before tests confirmed that she had contracted the virus.
The woman has since been isolated and is receiving treatment, while public health authorities intensify efforts to identify and monitor people who may have been exposed to the infection.
Pate disclosed that 44 close contacts had been identified so far, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and people who might have encountered the patient during her journey.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are coordinating the response to contain the infection and prevent further spread.
The government has directed public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain on high alert, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, enforce strict infection prevention and control measures, and immediately report suspected infections to public health authorities.
Healthcare workers have also been urged to exercise heightened vigilance when attending to patients with symptoms consistent with Ebola, particularly those with relevant travel or exposure histories.
Members of the public have been advised to remain calm, observe basic hygiene practices and cooperate with health officials conducting contact tracing.
Anyone who suspects that they may have been exposed to the virus has been advised to contact public health authorities for guidance rather than visit a healthcare facility without prior notification.
The NCDC’s toll-free call centre, 6232, is available around the clock for enquiries and reports of suspected cases.
The confirmation comes amid an evolving Ebola outbreak in parts of Central and East Africa, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the centre of the current regional emergency.
Nigeria’s disease control agency had raised its level of vigilance following the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Kenya earlier in October.
Official reports from Nigeria and international news agencies indicate that authorities had already strengthened preparedness measures before the Abuja case was confirmed.
Nigeria previously recorded an Ebola outbreak in 2014 after an infected traveller arrived in Lagos.
The outbreak was contained through a coordinated response involving rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing and public health surveillance.
The current case will test the country’s preparedness and ability to prevent further transmission.
The identification and monitoring of the 44 contacts will be particularly important in determining whether additional infections emerge.
Health authorities are expected to continue surveillance, contact tracing and public communication as investigations proceed.
The government has urged Nigerians to rely on official health advisories and cooperate with public health teams.
