FCTA DECLARES ABUJA EBOLA FREE, HEIGHTENS SURVEILLANCE
By: Vivian Ademoye
The Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Secretariat, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, has allayed concerns over a report of a suspected Ebola disease outbreak in the FCT.
Addressing the Press in Abuja, on Friday, September 19, 2025, the Mandate Secretary stressed that the FCT is free of Ebola disease.
She confirmed that a suspected case of Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory tested negative for both Ebola and Marburg diseases, effectively allaying public fears and unverified rumours.
Dr Fasawe commended the robust health infrastructure and proactive measures put in place by the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, which, she said, enabled the rapid detection and containment of the potential threat.
The Secretary clarified that the suspected case involved an individual, identified as “Patient X” in the FCT, for reasons of confidentiality, who had a travel history from Rwanda, which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Ebola has been confirmed.
She commended the health-seeking habit of the patient, who she said went directly to a hospital upon feeling ill, praising the hospital for following infectious disease protocols by immediately isolating the patient and contacting the health authorities.
“This is not the first suspected case we have had this year, but due to an effective and efficient surveillance system put in place by this administration, we have been able to follow protocols better than other states”, the Secretary stated. She highlighted the recent commissioning of an Emergency Operations Centre and the active surveillance team as key to the swift response.
Noting that the FCT remains Ebola-free, Dr Fasawe said the FCT Health Secretariat is working closely with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to secure all borders, particularly the air border, to ensure more vigilance for individuals arriving from countries with confirmed epidemics.
The Secretary appealed to members of the press to verify information before publishing to prevent unnecessary panic and stigmatisation. She also issued a direct public health message to all residents, urging them to improve their health-seeking habits.
“Every fever is not malaria”, she said. “If you have any sign of illness, especially with a fever or any abnormal bleeding from the nose, ears, eyes, or any other orifice, it is a very big emergency. You must report to the nearest health centre immediately”.
Additionally, the Secretary provided an update on the FCT Minister’s recent approval for the payment of health workers’ allowances and the employment of new doctors. She confirmed that 37 doctors have already been employed, with plans to hire close to 300 more healthcare professionals in the shortest possible time.
Dr Fasawe, however, stressed that the necessary bureaucratic procedures would be followed in implementing the Minister’s approval to ensure a lasting solution and mitigate future agitation by FCT health workers.
According to her, “In every organization, both public and private sectors, there is documentation, there is uploading, there is verifying, there is ensuring that the payment systems is not distorted and this is not a one-time payment.
“The good thing about the Minister’s approval is that we will not have this agitation again. For his approvals to be sustainable, we need time for administrative purposes. I cannot give you a definite time but I can tell you for example, the low hanging fruits like employing more doctors is already in effect. He has given a large number. As of today, 37 doctors out of that number have been employed and we are in the process of employing close to 300 healthcare workers.
“In the shortest possible time, this is a priority to the Minister; every allowance will be paid so that we do not come back to this agitation again next year. We have to put in place sustainable systems to ensure that these people are paid automatically. That is why it cannot be a quick fix and next year we are back to this table again discussing doctors’ strike”, she stated.
Also speaking, the President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Osundayo Tope thanked the FCT Minister for his kind heart in acceding to the requests of the Association of Resident Doctors.
He explained that the recent strike action by the ARD was not politically motivated but was rather aimed at drawing the attention of the Minister to the challenges of the health sector in the FCT.
According to him, “The essence of all that we are doing is to draw his attention. It is not that we are a political stooge or we are trying to fight the FCT Minister or to fight anybody. Nobody is using us. We are doing what is right to get his attention and his attention was gotten. He attended to everything that was listed in our demand.
“We want to appreciate him for being generous, for being a father and we also want to appreciate him because he’s taking matters of health as a priority. He’s been called Mr. Project and apart from the projects, he has also approved the demands from the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), FCTA”, he said.
The President also extended appreciation to the Mandate Secretary, FCT Health Secretariat for her role in resolving the contending issues of the health workers.
