After BusinessDay report, FAAN, Lagos State move to plug airport ebola screening loopholes

After BusinessDay report, FAAN, Lagos State move to plug airport ebola screening loopholes

After BusinessDay’s report showing loopholes in surveillance at Lagos and Abuja airports after the breakout of Ebola, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Lagos State Government health officials, and Port Health Services have reinforced measures to prevent the importation and spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) through the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, following a joint inspection of the airport’s preparedness facilities.

BusinessDay had reported that despite official assurances from FAAN that surveillance and screening have been aggressively intensified at the nation’s gateways, operations at departure terminals were proceeding largely as normal with glaring gaps in pre-flight screening.

BusinessDay’s findings at both the Lagos and Abuja airport terminals revealed a stark contrast between official public health directives and on-the-ground execution.

While arriving international passengers face functional containment bottlenecks, departing travellers are passing through standard security channels with no visible health surveillance or Ebola-related checks.

However in a statement by FAAN on Sunday, it stated that the recent inspection was conducted to assess the airport’s readiness to detect, monitor, and respond to any potential Ebola threat, particularly in light of recent developments surrounding the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The exercise brought together key stakeholders from the health and aviation sectors, including Emmanuel Akinola Abayomi, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health; Olatokunbo Arewa, MMIA Airport Manager; Ibrahim Bilikisu, General Manager, Aviation Medical, FAAN; Dayo Lajide, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health; Kemi Ogunyemi, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health; and Ismail Adeshina Abdus-Salam, the State Epidemiologist, among others.

Speaking during the inspection, Abayomi commended FAAN and other stakeholders for their swift response to developments relating to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and the proactive preventive measures already in place at the airport.

He stressed the need for heightened vigilance and stricter surveillance, particularly in monitoring passengers arriving from countries considered high-risk.

According to him, effective procedures must be maintained to identify, separate, and closely monitor travellers from such destinations while ensuring full compliance with established public health protocols.

The Commissioner noted that continuous collaboration among all relevant agencies remains crucial to preventing the importation and spread of infectious diseases through Nigeria’s busiest airport, adding that safeguarding public health must remain a priority.

In his remarks, Olatokunbo Arewa, the Airport Manager, assured the visiting delegation of FAAN’s commitment to sustaining all necessary preventive measures and adhering to established health regulations.

He called for greater synergy among stakeholders and emphasized the importance of immediate action whenever symptoms suggestive of Ebola are detected in any traveller.

“Prompt detection, reporting and response are essential to preventing the spread of any infectious disease within the airport environment and beyond,” he said.

Also briefing the delegation, Abdullahi Lawal, Officer-in-Charge of Port Health Services and Head of the Point of Entry (PoE) team at MMIA, disclosed that the airport’s emergency preparedness and response plan had been reviewed, while comprehensive risk assessments had also been conducted.

According to him, airlines operating from high-risk destinations have been identified, screening forms are being administered to passengers arriving on such flights, and all stakeholders have been assigned specific responsibilities under the emergency response framework.

Ibrahim Bilikisu further disclosed that FAAN and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have continued to share information and coordinate response efforts in line with international health regulations and global best practices.

She added that airport personnel and stakeholders have been adequately sensitised on their roles and trained to identify, report, and respond appropriately to potential public health threats.

As part of the exercise, members of the Lagos State Government delegation toured critical facilities within the airport to verify compliance with established Ebola surveillance, screening, and prevention protocols.

The inspection underscored the collective resolve of health and aviation authorities to maintain a high level of preparedness and ensure that MMIA remains equipped to effectively respond to any public health emergency.