The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has updated its entry screening protocol, exempting passengers arriving from non-affected countries from filling out the compulsory Health Declaration Form.
The new interim public health advisory obtained by PerSecondNews, dated Tuesday, September 22, 2026, and officially released on Wednesday, applies the health declaration requirement strictly to travellers arriving from countries with active or relevant Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) transmission.
According to the disease control centre, the decision follows an updated Dynamic Risk Assessment and extensive consultations with public health experts and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Dr. Jide Idris, Director General of the NCDC, said the targeted measure aims to maintain high surveillance efficiency on high-risk routes without placing unnecessary burdens on routine international travel.
“Nigeria remains on high alert, and all preparatory activities are ongoing,” Idris said.
“Health authorities that health authorities will continue to review border control measures in step with the evolving global epidemiological situation,” he emphasized.
The NCDC urged members of the public to remain vigilant, monitor themselves for symptoms consistent with EVD, and immediately report relevant travel or exposure history to health authorities when seeking medical care.
The advisory also called on key operational partners, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Port Health Services, Nigeria Immigration Service, and international bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) to ensure seamless compliance across all point- of-entry health corridors.
The policy adjustment reflects a strategic move by health authorities to balance rigorous border surveillance with seamless travel operations.
Universal screening was originally rolled out as a blanket safeguard following the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
However, comprehensive surveillance data and global risk evaluations indicate that the risk of transmission remains heavily concentrated in specific epicenters rather than across all international routes.
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