The Federal Government is considering a weekly payment of ₦100,000 to support people placed under quarantine following Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case, as health authorities intensify contact tracing and efforts to prevent further transmission.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed the proposed welfare arrangement amid complaints from people being monitored over the outbreak.
The money would help cover feeding and other essential upkeep during the monitoring period.
The development comes as Nigeria prepares to evacuate the confirmed index case abroad for further medical treatment, according to a report by THISDAY published on Monday, October 26, 2026.
The patient, a 42-year-old woman, is receiving medical care under isolation. Health officials said her condition had improved, while arrangements for her medical evacuation were reportedly underway.
The NCDC said 53 primary contacts linked to the confirmed case had been identified and were being monitored.
Those identified include healthcare workers who attended to the patient, personnel at the hospital where she is receiving treatment, her husband and other individuals who may have been exposed.
Two additional suspected Ebola cases reported in the Federal Capital Territory and Rivers State tested negative, according to the agency. A sample collected from the confirmed patient's husband also returned a negative result.
However, contact tracing remains ongoing as authorities work to identify additional people who may have had contact with the patient.
The NCDC stressed that being identified as a contact does not mean a person has contracted Ebola. Such individuals are monitored so that any possible infection can be detected early.
The agency urged Nigerians to cooperate with public health teams, provide accurate information and follow official health advisories.
Health authorities are also strengthening laboratory testing, surveillance, infection prevention and control measures across healthcare facilities.
Meanwhile, the West African College of Physicians (WACP) is holding a summit in Abuja to address major healthcare challenges facing Nigeria and other countries in the region.
The meeting marks the college’s 50th anniversary and is expected to bring together more than 1,300 medical experts and other stakeholders from across West Africa.
Ebola preparedness, healthcare infrastructure, medical research and the growing movement of health professionals abroad are among the issues scheduled for discussion.
WACP President Dr Mamadou Mourtalla said the meeting would examine developments in medical science, professional training, infrastructure and infectious disease control.
Assistant Secretary-General Dr Habibu Galadanci said discussions on brain drain would examine the factors pushing medical professionals to leave their home countries and the conditions attracting them to other destinations.
The summit is also expected to consider artificial intelligence in medicine, maternal and reproductive health, mental health, kidney disease and improvements in public hospital performance.
The meeting follows President Bola Tinubu’s engagement with college representatives, during which he urged them to develop practical solutions to healthcare challenges, including the departure of Nigerian doctors for jobs abroad.
As Nigeria responds to the Ebola case, health officials face the immediate task of containing potential transmission while the wider medical community considers long-term solutions to staffing shortages, infrastructure gaps and public health preparedness.