The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining Nigeria’s current zero-case status for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) while strengthening the country’s role in epidemic preparedness and response across Africa.

Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Femi Gbajabiamila, made this known on Thursday during the inauguration of the task force at the State House, Abuja.

Gbajabiamila said Nigeria currently has no reported Ebola cases and stressed that government efforts are now focused on prevention through enhanced surveillance, border control, and rapid response systems. He noted that lessons from the 2014 Ebola outbreak have shaped stronger national preparedness structures.

He explained that the strategy includes coordinated collaboration with states hosting international airports such as Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Enugu, and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside intensified monitoring at land borders through immigration and border management agencies.

According to him, the task force will establish sub-committees covering border management, immigration control, and disease surveillance, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) providing technical leadership.

Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, and other senior health officials were present at the inauguration, alongside representatives from the World Health Organization and state health ministries.

Gbajabiamila said Nigeria is building permanent structures to ensure the country is not caught unprepared in the event of future outbreaks, adding that the goal is to make Nigeria a leader in Africa’s disease prevention and response architecture.