The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a N458 billion biosecurity and disease surveillance system for five international airports across the country to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to detect Ebola and other dangerous diseases at its borders.
Addressing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, said the initiative was aimed at strengthening the country’s disease surveillance and response systems
Pate said the approval was one of the outcomes of the Council meeting held on Wednesday
According to him, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant vulnerabilities in the country’s ability to manage public health threats crossing its borders
He said, “Over the last two weeks, I think you realise the significance of enhancing biosecurity at our points of entry”
The minister explained that the project was informed by lessons from Nigeria’s recent response to Ebola, adding that it would be implemented under a 20-year public-private partnership concession awarded to BioHealth Consortium
He described the initiative as a major investment in Nigeria’s health and economic security, noting that infectious disease outbreaks could disrupt economic activities and threaten public safety
According to him, the surveillance system would be deployed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; Port Harcourt International Airport; and Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu
He disclosed that more than 18 million passengers pass through Nigeria’s airports annually, making effective surveillance at the points of entry critical to national health security
“Since COVID, we have known that there are significant vulnerabilities in terms of public health threats crossing borders and the need for coordinated, technology-driven systems for early warning, detection and response to infectious disease threats,” he said
Pate noted that, under the arrangement, the private-sector partner would design, finance, build, operate and maintain the facilities throughout the concession period, while the Federal Government would provide policy, institutional and regulatory oversight
He said the assets would revert to the Federal Government at the end of the concession period in line with the agreement reviewed and endorsed by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission
The project, he said, would include wastewater surveillance to detect pathogens associated with aircraft, air and surface sampling equipment, as well as technologies for monitoring cargo and baggage
The facilities would also include modern laboratories for rapid diagnostics at the points of entry
Their operations would be integrated with those of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Port Health Services, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
Speaking on the recent development, Pate said Nigeria had maintained surveillance and containment measures before confirming an imported Ebola case in October
He added that the patient had recovered after receiving treatment in Nigeria and continued to improve in her country
However, he warned that the threat remained, given the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the possibility of other infectious diseases entering Nigeria
On the government’s support for people placed in isolation or quarantine after being identified as contacts of the Ebola patient, the minister said the intervention was intended to encourage compliance with public health measures and prevent community transmission
“If you ask them to stay in quarantine, they have a livelihood and a family They may find ways to evade it, and that will put everybody at risk,” he said.
The minister described the support as a targeted public health intervention designed to encourage identified contacts to remain in quarantine and protect the wider population
“It is a global public good, and it is circumscribed By no means will it be applicable if we have the unfortunate situation of community transmission,” he said.
Pate added that the contacts were required to undergo 21 days of quarantine, corresponding to Ebola’s incubation period of between two and 21 days
“We are not taking any chances,” he said, adding that the authorities would continue monitoring the contacts and respond swiftly to any suspected infection