The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has launched a national Ebola preparedness webinar series, adopting a proactive communication strategy to engage the public before any confirmed Ebola cases appear in Nigeria.
The initiative aims to strengthen public awareness, build trust, promote vigilance, and ensure that accurate information reaches communities early enough to counter rumors, misinformation, and fear associated with disease outbreaks.
During a webinar on “Nigeria Ebola Risk Communication, Community Engagement, and Infodemic Management Preparedness (RCCE+IM),” Director-General of NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, emphasized the importance of building trust and vigilance nationwide.
Idris stated that the initiative seeks to ensure accurate information reaches communities before rumors and misinformation spread. Although Nigeria has no confirmed Ebola cases linked to the current outbreak, authorities remain vigilant.
“As of June 6, the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda had 533 confirmed cases and 84 deaths.
“The virus has crossed into Uganda, and experience from Ebola, COVID-19, Mpox, cholera, and Lassa fever shows that diseases do not respect borders,” he said.
He urged stakeholders—including the Ministry of Health, National Orientation Agency, state governments, health workers, media organizations, civil society groups, faith-based organizations, and community mobilizers—to align messages and maintain public trust.
According to Idris, consistent communication is critical to effective preparedness. The webinar provides a national and regional platform for coordination, information sharing, and capacity building among stakeholders.
“Over the coming weeks, discussions will focus on community engagement, social listening, infodemic management, media engagement, inclusive communication, and state-level preparedness.
“The goal is to enhance Nigeria’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to any potential Ebola event,” he said.
Idris highlighted that preparedness must begin before disease detection. While surveillance systems, laboratories, treatment centers, and emergency operations centers are vital, public trust and community participation are equally essential.
He identified misinformation, fear, stigma, and false cures as major threats capable of undermining outbreak response efforts as quickly as the virus itself, underscoring the importance of effective public communication.
“To address this, Nigeria is prioritizing risk communication, community engagement, and infodemic management.
“Communities will be listened to, concerns addressed promptly, and evidence-based guidance provided to help families protect themselves.
“The public is advised to rely only on official sources such as NCDC and the Ministry of Health,” he said. He also emphasized regional collaboration in strengthening public health security.
“Public health threats do not stop at national borders, so Nigeria is working closely with ECOWAS member states and development partners.
“Aligning messages across countries is key to protecting health security in West Africa,” he added.
The NCDC director described preparedness as a shared responsibility, stating that every stakeholder has a role in keeping the country vigilant, informed, coordinated, and ready—without creating unnecessary fear.
“The best time to strengthen preparedness is before an outbreak occurs, and the best way to protect communities is through trust, partnership, and timely action,” he concluded.
