The Lagos State Government has stepped up health surveillance and emergency preparedness measures at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) following renewed Ebola outbreaks in parts of East and Central Africa.
The move is designed to prevent the importation of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) into Nigeria, with authorities enhancing screening procedures, passenger monitoring, and rapid response systems at the country’s busiest international airport.
During an inspection and facility assessment visit to MMIA, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, described the airport as Nigeria’s most vulnerable entry point for imported infectious diseases, noting that it handles approximately 70 per cent of all international arrivals into the country.
Abayomi said the state government is strengthening early detection mechanisms, expanding isolation capabilities, and improving digital surveillance for travellers arriving from countries considered high-risk. He added that the state is working closely with relevant federal agencies operating at the airport to ensure an effective response.
According to him, the goal is to ensure that any suspected case is quickly identified and contained without causing major disruptions to airport operations or passenger movement.
The commissioner stressed that preparedness remains essential due to increasing global travel and the continued risk of cross-border disease transmission.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s successful containment of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, which was imported from Liberia and managed in Lagos, Abayomi said the experience remains one of the country’s most important public health lessons. He also acknowledged the sacrifices made by frontline healthcare workers during the crisis.
He noted that lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the importance of strong collaboration between state and federal agencies responsible for surveillance and disease control at the nation’s ports of entry.
Also speaking during the inspection, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, described airport personnel as the first line of defence against imported infectious diseases and urged them to remain vigilant while strictly adhering to infection prevention and control protocols.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, commended the ongoing collaboration among agencies and encouraged frontline workers to maintain high safety standards during passenger screening operations.
Airport authorities disclosed that additional preparedness equipment, including touchless hand sanitiser systems and temperature monitoring devices, has already been deployed across MMIA to strengthen public health safeguards.
The Head of Port Health Services at MMIA, Dr. Lawal Abdullahi, revealed that the airport reviewed and updated its public health emergency contingency plan in March 2026 and activated its emergency response team in response to emerging health risks.
He added that passenger screening measures have been reinforced and that travel-related data is continuously shared with epidemiology teams for monitoring and follow-up activities where necessary.
Officials from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and aviation medical services also confirmed the deployment of additional protective equipment, enhanced staff training programmes, and updated health advisories for airport workers.
All agencies involved reaffirmed their commitment to coordinated surveillance, rapid response mechanisms, and information sharing to prevent the importation and spread of Ebola and other infectious diseases into Nigeria.
The inspection exercise included visits to major screening points and emergency response facilities across the airport.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
