The Federal Government has approved ₦45.08 billion for the installation of an advanced biosecurity and disease surveillance system at five international airports across Nigeria as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s preparedness for emerging infectious diseases.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, disclosed this after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
According to the minister, the project will be carried out through a 20-year public-private partnership with the BioHealth Consortium. The initiative is designed to help Nigeria detect potential disease outbreaks early and respond more quickly before they spread.
The surveillance system will be deployed at international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu.
It will feature modern technologies, including aircraft wastewater surveillance, air and surface sampling, and specialised systems capable of detecting dangerous pathogens that could pose a threat to public health.
Pate explained that the initiative would strengthen disease monitoring at Nigeria’s borders, improve collaboration among relevant government agencies and enhance the country’s ability to identify and contain infectious disease threats.
Meanwhile, the minister provided an update on Nigeria’s Ebola situation, confirming that the patient diagnosed in October has recovered.
He, however, noted that contact tracing and other containment measures remain ongoing to prevent further transmission of the virus within the community.
The project is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s disease surveillance capacity and improve its readiness to respond to future public health emergencies, particularly those involving diseases that could enter the country through international travel.
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