The Federal Government has intensified its diplomatic and public communication efforts to prevent the importation of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirming its commitment to strengthening regional and international collaboration as part of the country’s preparedness strategy.
The move was highlighted on Thursday during the inaugural meeting of the Communication, Diplomacy and International Engagement Sub-committee of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease, held at the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Abuja.
The committee is chaired by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, while the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, serves as Deputy Chairman.
ALSO READ: Tinubu commissions remodelled Abuja city gate
The Ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, noting that the meeting brought together representatives of key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), professional bodies and development partners to coordinate Nigeria’s preparedness against Ebola and other emerging public health threats.
According to the statement, participants included representatives of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), National Orientation Agency (NOA), Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the World Health Organization (WHO), Border Communities Development Agency and other stakeholders.
Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the Presidential Task Force was established by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and is led by the Chief of Staff to the President to coordinate Nigeria’s preparedness against Ebola Virus Disease and other public health emergencies.
He stressed that although Nigeria has no confirmed case of Ebola, the NCDC has assessed the risk of importation as high because of regional population movement and international travel.
Idris said surveillance had been strengthened at the country’s points of entry, health facilities had been placed on heightened alert, while preparedness measures had been intensified nationwide.
He added that all public communication on Ebola would be evidence-based, scientifically validated by the NCDC, and designed to prevent misinformation and unnecessary public panic.
In his remarks, Enikanolaiye commended President Tinubu for establishing the Presidential Task Force before any confirmed Ebola case had been recorded in Nigeria, describing the decision as a demonstration of proactive leadership.
He said preventive diplomacy and early preparedness remained critical to effective national crisis management, particularly in responding to public health emergencies with cross-border implications.
The minister reaffirmed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to supporting the diplomatic aspect of the national response through sustained engagement with neighbouring countries, international organisations and Nigeria’s diplomatic missions abroad.
According to him, the ministry will facilitate information sharing, strengthen regional cooperation, and support coordinated international responses to emerging public health threats.
He further noted that effective diplomatic engagement would complement domestic preparedness by promoting international collaboration, protecting Nigeria’s global image, and ensuring that accurate information on the country’s public health situation is communicated to the international community.
The meeting also identified priority areas for the sub-committee, including the development of a harmonised national risk communication strategy, coordinated public messaging across government institutions, production of standard public information materials, translation of health messages into major Nigerian languages, stronger media engagement and rapid detection and correction of misinformation.
Members agreed to adopt a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach by engaging traditional and religious institutions, media organisations, educational institutions, transport unions, market associations, women and youth groups, civil society organisations and community leaders in nationwide public awareness campaigns.
The meeting ended with a renewed commitment by members to strengthen Nigeria’s Ebola preparedness through coordinated communication, public enlightenment and stakeholder engagement, while reassuring Nigerians that there is no cause for panic and urging them to observe good hygiene practices, promptly report suspected symptoms to health authorities and rely only on verified information from official government sources.