Ebola Alert: Senate Directs Compulsory Screening Of All International Travellers

The Senate has directed the compulsory screening of all international travellers entering Nigeria through airports, seaports and designated land borders following concerns over a reported Ebola case in Abuja.

The lawmakers also called for emergency funding to strengthen containment measures, improved border surveillance and the replacement of Nigeria’s 100-year-old Quarantine Act with a modern public health law.

The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Senator Francis Ade Fadahunsi, who warned that Nigeria faced a heightened risk of Ebola importation and disclosed that about 44 contacts linked to the reported case had been identified for quarantine and observation.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio expressed concern over reports that the infected traveller arrived in Nigeria from Kenya without adequate screening, warning that lapses in border controls could expose the country to further transmission.

Senator Ali Ndume called for mandatory screening of every international traveller, irrespective of their country of origin, insisting that comprehensive checks were necessary to prevent suspected infections from crossing Nigeria’s borders undetected.

Senator Adamu Aliero urged the Federal Government to immediately release emergency funds from the Service Wide Vote to support containment operations and strengthen the response capacity of relevant agencies.

The Senate further called for the replacement of the Quarantine Act of 1926, with Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno describing the existing legislation as outdated and inadequate for addressing contemporary public health emergencies.

The lawmakers urged urgent legislative action to establish a modern legal framework for managing infectious diseases, enforcing quarantine measures and responding to public health emergencies.

They also directed relevant agencies to deploy trained health personnel, screening equipment and isolation facilities to airports, seaports and designated land borders.

Senator Ireti Kingibe emphasised the need for adequate resources to support preventive and containment measures, while Senator Diket Plang called on public and private institutions to provide hand sanitisers and other protective materials.

As an additional precaution, Akpabio directed the introduction of temperature checks and hand-washing facilities within the National Assembly.

The Senate urged relevant authorities to intensify disease surveillance, strengthen emergency preparedness and improve coordination among health agencies to prevent the spread of Ebola in Nigeria.