The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved an emergency payment of ₦100,000 per person weekly for individuals placed in isolation or quarantine as authorities intensify efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this on Sunday, October 25, 2026, during a press briefing in Abuja, explaining that the intervention followed complaints from people identified as contacts about the cost of feeding, accommodation and maintaining their families while undergoing public health monitoring.
According to Idris, the financial support is intended to reduce the burden on affected individuals and encourage their cooperation with health officials.
He explained that the agency introduced the measure after some contacts requested assistance to meet their basic needs and cater for their families during the monitoring period.
The NCDC chief said the payment was not part of the agency’s original response plan but became necessary because of the emergency.
He added that the arrangement would be reviewed as the situation develops.
Idris also urged state governments to make adequate financial and logistical provisions for public health emergencies, stressing that the responsibility for managing outbreaks should not rest solely on the FCT.
He warned that other states must be prepared to provide the necessary resources for contact tracing, isolation, quarantine and other disease-control measures if similar situations arise within their jurisdictions.
The intervention comes as health authorities intensify surveillance and contact tracing following the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Abuja on October 20.
At Sunday’s briefing, Idris said 53 primary contacts linked to the confirmed case had been identified for monitoring. They include healthcare workers, household members, domestic staff and personnel involved in collecting samples from the patient.
He said public health teams were assessing the contacts according to their level of exposure and monitoring them for symptoms, with anyone who becomes unwell to be assessed and tested.
The NCDC has also established isolation and quarantine arrangements for individuals requiring them, while health officials continue surveillance and follow-up activities.
The agency is urging Nigerians to cooperate with public health authorities and rely on verified information as efforts continue to prevent further transmission.
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