Reps demand urgent funding for NCDC over Ebola threat, epidemic preparedness

The House of Representatives on Tuesday called on the federal government to immediately provide adequate funding to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to strengthen the country’s preparedness and response capacity against Ebola and other epidemic-prone diseases.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Amobi Ogah (LP, Abia), who warned that Nigeria’s disease surveillance and emergency response systems were under severe strain due to prolonged funding shortfalls at the NCDC.

The motion, titled “Seeking the Federal Government to Immediately Provide Adequate Funding Requirements to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to Strengthen Nigeria’s Preparedness and Response Capacity for Ebola and Other Epidemic-Prone Diseases,” was adopted by the House without debate.

Presenting the motion, Mr Ogah reminded lawmakers that the NCDC is Nigeria’s national public health institute, charged with responding to infectious disease outbreaks and public health emergencies.

He drew attention to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where authorities and international health agencies confirmed the emergence of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus in May.

According to him, the outbreak poses a significant threat to Nigeria due to its porous borders and the ease of cross-border movement across Africa.

“On 15 May 2026, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported an outbreak of Ebola disease in the Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“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,” he said.

The lawmaker expressed concern that, unlike some previous Ebola outbreaks, there are currently no licensed vaccines or targeted therapies specifically approved for the Bundibugyo strain.

He also recalled that on 25 May, the NCDC issued a public health advisory placing Nigeria at high risk of Ebola importation and activated emergency preparedness measures across the country.

Mr Ogah, however, questioned how the agency could effectively prepare for potential outbreaks amid what he described as severe financial constraints.

He told the House that the NCDC received no operational funding in 2025 and that no capital releases had been made so far against its approved 2026 budget allocation.

According to him, overhead releases to the agency have also been irregular and grossly inadequate.

“How then can the preparedness of the Centre for emergencies be guaranteed?” he asked.

The lawmaker warned that the funding gap had significantly weakened Nigeria’s ability to fulfil critical health security obligations at a time when external donor support for outbreak preparedness and response activities had also declined.

He outlined several challenges currently confronting the NCDC, including unpaid contractors and service providers, stalled strategic projects, inadequate laboratory supplies, weak biosafety infrastructure, insufficient intensive care support systems and limited resources for emergency simulation exercises and preparedness drills.

According to him, vendors supplying critical goods and services to the agency have not been paid for more than one year, leading to delays in the completion of zonal laboratories, treatment centres and isolation facilities across the country.

He further disclosed that laboratory reagents, consumables and other materials essential for outbreak screening and diagnosis were nearly exhausted.

Mr Ogah also highlighted inadequate funding for the training and retraining of Rapid Response Teams, as well as limited resources for emergency workforce deployment during disease outbreaks.

He warned that the situation had critically constrained the NCDC’s ability to carry out outbreak response operations, surveillance activities, laboratory services, logistics coordination and frontline emergency preparedness functions.

“If urgent and appropriate funding for the Centre is not immediately met, the strength and capacity of the NCDC to adequately respond to the resurfacing Ebola threat and other epidemic-prone diseases cannot be assured, which is extremely disastrous to Nigeria as a nation,” he said.

Following the adoption of the motion, the House urged the Executive Arm of Government to immediately release funds appropriated for the NCDC to enable the agency to settle outstanding liabilities and carry out its statutory responsibilities without disruption.

The lawmakers also mandated the House Committee on Infectious Diseases to facilitate and monitor the utilisation of released funds and report back to the chamber for further legislative action.

In addition, the House called on port health authorities to intensify surveillance activities and strengthen cross-border health checks to prevent the entry of infected persons into the country.

The House Committee on Legislative Compliance was equally directed to ensure the implementation of the resolutions.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, who presided over the session, subsequently referred the matter to the relevant committees for compliance and oversight.

The House’s concern comes amid growing international efforts to contain an outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda.

The outbreak was officially declared on 15 May after health authorities confirmed cases in Ituri Province in eastern Congo. Two days later, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern due to the risk of regional spread.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the outbreak has spread across multiple health zones in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, with challenges including insecurity, weak contact-tracing systems, and cross-border population movements complicating response efforts.

The Bundibugyo strain is particularly concerning because there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment approved for it, unlike the Zaire strain of Ebola for which vaccines exist. Health experts say supportive care remains the primary treatment option.

Latest reports indicate that the outbreak has resulted in over 300 confirmed cases and nearly 50 deaths in the DRC, while Uganda has also recorded imported infections linked to cross-border travel.

International health agencies have warned that porous borders and population movements could facilitate further spread if surveillance and preparedness measures are not strengthened.