Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to Ebola preparedness, reporting 80 per cent readiness in Risk Communication, Community Engagement (RCCE) and Infodemic Management, even though it has no confirmed Ebola case.
Dr Jide Idris, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), made this known on Thursday during the second Ebola RCCE+IM preparedness webinar.
Idris said the webinar focused on strengthening infection prevention, risk communication, and community readiness at points of entry, health facilities, and communities before any outbreak occurs.
He emphasised that Nigeria must prepare before detecting the first Ebola case rather than responding after infections emerge. According to him, preparedness goes beyond case management to include strengthened border surveillance, protection of healthcare workers, and provision of accurate, timely public health information to communities.
Idris noted that public trust and sustained community engagement are as important as clinical preparedness in preventing and containing outbreaks.
He revealed that a national Infection Prevention and Control assessment was conducted across Ebola treatment centres to identify strengths, weaknesses, and priority investment areas.
“The assessment establishes a baseline for measuring readiness and guiding improvements before any Ebola outbreak occurs in the country. Lessons from previous Ebola outbreaks show that effective communication and community participation significantly improve emergency preparedness and response,” he said.
Idris stressed the importance of promptly countering misinformation, noting that public confidence depends on credible, evidence-based communication. He reviewed community insights, public perceptions, and emerging rumours gathered through nationwide social listening.
He said findings showed increased public awareness following Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, particularly among border communities. However, there have been false claims online and offline that Ebola cases had already been confirmed in Nigeria.
To address this, the NCDC has distributed myth-versus-fact materials, public health advisories, and evidence-based messages across the country.
Idris added that community sentiment analysis revealed mostly positive and neutral attitudes, though some conspiracy theories, distrust, and stigma persist. He noted that continuous social listening helps authorities identify concerns early and develop targeted messages to address misconceptions.
