The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, after laboratory tests returned positive for a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria from Uganda.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the development on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, saying health authorities had identified 44 contacts and commenced tracing efforts to prevent further transmission.
According to the minister, the woman arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda and was admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the infection was confirmed. She is currently in isolation and receiving medical care.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and the FCT Health Services Secretariat are working with other relevant authorities to contain the infection.
The ongoing contact-tracing exercise covers healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts who may have been exposed. Authorities are also intensifying surveillance and supporting the hospital where the patient was treated to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
Pate urged public and private healthcare facilities nationwide to remain vigilant, promptly isolate suspected cases and report them to public health authorities. He also appealed to people contacted during the tracing exercise, including potentially exposed airline passengers, to cooperate with health officials and provide the required information.
The minister advised Nigerians to remain calm, practise regular handwashing and avoid contact with the blood or other body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola.
Symptoms to watch for include fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea. Anyone who develops symptoms after possible exposure should avoid close contact with others and contact public health authorities for guidance before visiting a healthcare facility.
The NCDC can be reached on its toll-free helpline, 6232, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for information or to report a suspected case.
The confirmation comes amid an ongoing regional Ebola outbreak. Nigerian health authorities had earlier heightened surveillance following reports of an imported case in Kenya linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Federal Government said investigations and contact tracing were continuing, with further updates expected as more information becomes available.
