Reps Demand Urgent Funding for NCDC Amid Ebola Threat

The Nigerian House of Representatives has urged the federal government to urgently allocate sufficient funds to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). This call aims to enhance the nation's readiness and response capabilities for potential outbreaks of Ebola and other epidemic-prone diseases.

The resolution followed a motion by lawmaker Amobi Ogah, who highlighted the severe strain on Nigeria's disease surveillance and emergency response systems due to prolonged underfunding of the NCDC. Ogah warned that an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, specifically the Bundibugyo strain, poses a significant threat to Nigeria, especially given its porous borders and the ease of cross-border movement.

"This rare and distinct strain of Ebola virus, the Bundibugyo strain, is causing a major public health emergency in Central Africa and may spread to other parts of Africa soon because of the porous nature of our borders and lack of strict cross-border checks," Ogah stated. He expressed concern that no licensed vaccines or specific therapies are currently approved for this particular strain.

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This rare and distinct strain of Ebola virus, the Bundibugyo strain, is causing a major public health emergency in Central Africa and may spread to other parts of Africa soon because of the porous nature of our borders and lack of strict cross-border checks.

Adding to the urgency, the NCDC itself issued a public health advisory on May 25, placing Nigeria at high risk of Ebola importation and activating emergency preparedness measures. However, Ogah questioned the agency's ability to effectively prepare amid "severe financial constraints." He revealed that the NCDC received no operational funding in 2025, and capital releases against its 2026 budget have been insufficient, with overhead releases also being irregular and inadequate.

The lawmaker stressed that this funding gap critically weakens Nigeria's capacity to meet its health security obligations, particularly as external donor support for outbreak preparedness has also declined. The motion was adopted by the House without debate, emphasizing the perceived gravity of the situation.

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How then can the preparedness of the Centre for emergencies be guaranteed?