The Lagos State Government has intensified surveillance and emergency preparedness measures at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, even as it moved to prevent the importation of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, into Nigeria following renewed outbreaks in parts of East and Central Africa.
His words: “The primary purpose of our visit is to understand how we can support your efforts, identify existing gaps and jointly develop practical solutions. Our objective is to create a bottleneck for the virus, not for passengers.”
Recallin Nigeria’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014 after the virus was imported into Lagos from Liberia, Abayomi said the outbreak remains one of the most important public health lessons in the nation’s history.
“Almost eleven years ago, we experienced the importation of Ebola into Lagos from Liberia during the largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history. We were able to contain what became a relatively small outbreak in Lagos, thanks to the sacrifices of dedicated healthcare workers, including the late Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh,” he said.
According to him, the painful memories of the 2014 outbreak continue to remind health authorities that preparedness must remain constant in an era of increasing global travel and interconnectedness.
He added that lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic further reinforced the need for close collaboration between Lagos State and federal agencies operating at the airport, noting that the partnership helped establish one of the country’s strongest passenger surveillance systems.
Abayomi disclosed that authorities were also considering measures to reduce interaction between passengers arriving from designated high-risk countries and other travellers without disrupting airport operations.
Also speaking during the visit, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, described airport personnel as Nigeria’s frontline defence against imported infectious diseases.
“The frontline actually begins here at our ports of entry. As passengers arrive, you are among the very first people to interact with them, making your role critical in our disease surveillance and response efforts,” Ogunyemi said.
She stressed that health security must be treated with the same seriousness as every other national security concern and assured airport workers of the state government’s continued support.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, commended the collaboration between airport authorities, Port Health Services and state officials, describing it as critical to strengthening preparedness against diseases of international concern such as Ebola.
“As frontline responders, your safety is paramount. Continue to follow all IPC measures diligently because while you are protecting Nigeria from potential health threats, you must also ensure that you are protected from exposure and risk,” she said.
Earlier, the Airport Manager and Regional General Manager, South-West MMIA, Mr. Olatokunbo Arewa, disclosed that additional preparedness infrastructure, including touchless hand-sanitiser systems and temperature-detection equipment, had already been deployed across the airport.
Arewa also revealed that discussions were ongoing regarding the establishment of dedicated arrival processing channels for passengers arriving from high-risk countries as part of efforts to strengthen surveillance and screening operations.
“Ebola is a highly dangerous disease and any suspected case must be isolated quickly and professionally to prevent transmission,” he warned.
Providing updates on airport preparedness, the Head of Port Health Services at MMIA, Dr. Lawal Abdullahi, disclosed that the airport reviewed and updated its Public Health Emergency Contingency Plan on March 18, 2026, ahead of the latest Ebola developments in East Africa.
According to him, the Airport Public Health Emergency Management Team had already been activated, while a comprehensive risk assessment was conducted to identify countries of concern and guide surveillance activities at the airport.
Abdullahi added that passenger screening mechanisms were deployed before the activation of the national health declaration platform and that traveller information was routinely shared with Lagos State epidemiology teams to strengthen follow-up and response activities.
Also, the General Manager, Aviation Medical Services, FAAN, Dr. Bilkis Ibrahim, disclosed that additional personal protective equipment, multilingual health advisories and staff training programmes were being deployed to strengthen preparedness among airport workers.
The Aeromedical Assessor of the NCAA, Dr. Abayomi Asunbo, also revealed that the regulatory authority had directed all airlines operating designated international routes to comply fully with public health protocols before passengers are cleared into Nigeria.
The high point of the visit was the inspection of major screening points and emergency response facilities at MMIA.
