By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has clarified that the N10 billion emergency health intervention fund approved by President Bola Tinubu was not meant exclusively for Ebola preparedness but to strengthen Nigeria’s overall capacity to prevent and respond to public health emergencies.

The clarification comes amid public concerns and debate over the Federal Government’s allocation following the confirmation of an imported Bundibugyo Ebola case in Nigeria.

NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, who made the clarification in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, said the funding was designed to support prevention, preparedness, early detection and rapid response to several epidemic-prone diseases.

He listed the threats to include Ebola, Lassa fever, cholera, meningitis, diphtheria, measles, Mpox and antimicrobial resistance, noting that these diseases had continued to contribute significantly to illness and deaths across the country.

Idris stressed that the N10 billion was released directly to the NCDC and not to the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President.

According to him, while the task force was established to coordinate the national Ebola response, the intervention fund was intended to address broader health security challenges confronting the country.

He, however, described the N10 billion allocation as inadequate, considering the enormous financial requirements for building a resilient national health security system.

The NCDC chief disclosed that Nigeria’s National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) 2.0, covering 2025 to 2029, requires approximately N522 billion for implementation over five years.

This translates to an average annual funding requirement of N104.4 billion, meaning the N10 billion intervention represents only about two per cent of the plan’s average yearly cost.

Idris explained that NAPHS 2.0 adopted a multisectoral One Health approach, bringing together ministries, departments and agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to strengthen the country’s capacity to tackle health emergencies.

He said inadequate funding had remained a major obstacle to implementing Nigeria’s previous health security plan, stressing that sustainable domestic and international financing was necessary to prevent disease outbreaks from escalating into national emergencies.

On the Ebola situation, Idris said Nigeria responded promptly to its first imported Bundibugyo Ebola case, assuring citizens that there was no need for panic.

He disclosed that the infection was confirmed at the NCDC laboratory on October 20, 2026, less than 24 hours after the agency received the alert in Abuja.

According to him, all identified contacts were under daily monitoring, while Nigeria currently had no active Ebola case following the management of the imported infection.

He added that surveillance would continue until the last identified contact completed the mandatory 21-day monitoring period without developing symptoms or any new case emerging.

Despite the encouraging development, the NCDC director-general cautioned that the country was not yet completely out of danger, promising regular updates through the agency’s official communication channels.

Idris also dismissed concerns that the Ebola situation could warrant the postponement of elections, suspension of political campaigns, prohibition of mass gatherings or imposition of travel restrictions.

He said the NCDC had not recommended such measures, adding that technical guidelines had instead been developed to guide organisers of public gatherings on infection prevention and control.

According to him, public events could proceed safely provided organisers and participants complied strictly with established health and safety protocols.

He warned Nigerians against spreading unverified information, noting that rumours and misinformation could undermine public confidence and frustrate efforts to contain disease outbreaks.

Providing details of government funding for health security, Idris said the NCDC received N4 billion in 2024 and N7 billion in 2025, alongside a N5 billion intervention fund.

He added that the 2026 Appropriation provided N22 billion, while President Tinubu approved an additional N10 billion emergency intervention fund in June 2026 to strengthen preparedness.

The NCDC boss further cited estimates by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, which indicated that countries required between one and two dollars per person annually to maintain acceptable epidemic preparedness and emergency response capacity.

Based on Nigeria’s estimated population of 240 million, he said the country would require between $240 million and $480 million annually to achieve adequate preparedness against public health threats.

Idris called on federal and state governments, development partners and other stakeholders to increase investment in health security, describing it as a critical pillar of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.

He maintained that adequate funding, transparency and accountability were essential to preventing avoidable deaths, protecting livelihoods and reducing the economic consequences of disease outbreaks.

The NCDC director-general assured Nigerians that the agency remained committed to the prudent utilisation of public resources and the protection of public health nationwide.

By David Torough, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to national development, peace and prosperity, declaring that he prayed for all Nigerians during his recent spiritual visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he was granted the rare privilege of entering the Holy Ka’abah in Makkah to offer prayers.

The President, who concluded his visit on Monday, disclosed that he used the sacred opportunity to seek divine intervention for Nigeria, praying for peace, unity and prosperity for the country and its citizens.

In a statement shared on his verified X handle, Tinubu expressed profound appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, for granting him and members of his delegation access to the Holy Ka’abah and extending gracious hospitality to them.

He described the experience as a historic and deeply cherished spiritual privilege, reflecting the longstanding bonds of faith, friendship, mutual respect and cooperation between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

Speaking on the significance of the visit, the President said the opportunity to pray inside the Ka’abah was an honour he would forever cherish, adding that he remained grateful to the Saudi monarch, the Crown Prince and the administrators of the holy sites for the gesture.

During his reflections on the spiritual journey, Tinubu said he prayed for wisdom and resilience to continue serving Nigerians, expressing confidence that his prayers had been answered.

He recalled undertaking a similar spiritual journey before the 2023 presidential election, when he sought Allah’s blessings for his Umrah and promised to return in gratitude.

The President also drew inspiration from Surah Aal-Imran, Verse 26 of the Holy Qur’an, which affirms that Almighty Allah is the ultimate owner of sovereignty, granting power and authority to whom He wills and taking them away from whom He wills.

According to him, the passage reinforces the understanding that political authority is a divine trust that must be exercised with humility, responsibility and commitment to the welfare of the people.

Tinubu said his emergence as Nigeria’s President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces was an extraordinary blessing from Almighty Allah, which must be matched with dedicated service to the nation.

Reaffirming his commitment to Project Nigeria, he declared that his determination to build a prosperous country had become stronger, stressing the need to pursue development in accordance with the will of Allah and the aspirations of Nigerians.

“My commitment to Project Nigeria is higher. I am determined to usher in prosperity and fully develop the country, consistent with the wish of Allah and the support of the people,” he said.

On the economy, the President expressed optimism about the country’s outlook, describing its economic foundation as solid and Nigeria’s emergence from a difficult period as encouraging.

He, however, emphasised that sustainable national development must include deliberate investment in young people, warning that the decisions taken by present leaders would determine how future generations judge their stewardship.

The President maintained that his administration would remain focused on strengthening the economy, expanding opportunities for young Nigerians and creating an enabling environment for citizens to realise their potential.

Meanwhile, members of the presidential delegation, including Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate; and the governors of Borno, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kaduna, Yobe and Kwara states, expressed gratitude to Allah for the opportunity to enter and pray inside the sacred shrine.

Business leaders, including Chairman of BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu, and Oando Chief Executive Officer, Wale Tinubu, were also among those who shared the spiritual experience with the President.

Tinubu departed Abuja for Saudi Arabia on Thursday, October 29, 2026, to perform Umrah at the Grand Mosque, Masjid al-Haram, in Makkah.

He said the visit had further reinforced his appreciation of the enduring relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, while renewing his resolve to serve the Nigerian people with wisdom, resilience, humility and purposeful leadership.

By David Torough, Abuja

The West African Health Organisation (WAHO) has reaffirmed its commitment to harmonising the training, accreditation and recognition of health professionals’ qualifications across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as part of efforts to address workforce shortages and improve access to quality healthcare in the sub-region.

The commitment was reiterated at the opening ceremony of the 11th Statutory Meeting of the Regional Council for Health Professionals Education in the ECOWAS Region, held on Monday at the WACOP Hotel, Abuja.

WAHO Director-General, Prof.

Palokinam Pitche, said qualified, motivated and equitably distributed health professionals remained fundamental to building resilient health systems and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in West Africa.

He noted that the availability of health facilities alone could not guarantee quality healthcare without sufficient numbers of appropriately trained professionals to provide services, particularly in underserved and vulnerable communities.

According to him, the unequal distribution of health workers across countries, coupled with inadequate training, retention challenges and gaps in professional development, continues to constrain healthcare delivery in the region.

Pitche said that despite efforts by member states to strengthen their health workforce, implementation of relevant strategies had been slow and uneven, with issues relating to training curricula, continuing professional development, professional regulation, inter-professional conflicts and staff retention requiring more coordinated attention.

He stressed that achieving UHC would remain difficult without qualified health personnel who are adequately trained, motivated, retained and fairly distributed across the region.

The WAHO Director-General explained that the organisation’s efforts were backed by several regional and continental frameworks, including the WAHO Creation Protocol of 1997, the 2003 Dakar Convention on education and training, resolutions on harmonised training curricula adopted in Abuja in 2006, and the 2007 Dakar Convention on the recognition and equivalence of diplomas and certificates.

He also cited the organisation’s collaboration with the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES) on curriculum harmonisation and accreditation, as well as the 2014 Additional Act of ECOWAS Heads of State on improving higher education and research.

Pitche described WAHO’s human resources development programme as one of the organisation’s major achievements, noting that countries with different educational traditions, including Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone systems, had worked together to harmonise curricula, accreditation processes and the recognition of professional qualifications.

He said the programme had attracted interest from other African regions seeking to learn from the West African experience.

However, he called for an evaluation of the programme to identify its achievements, shortcomings and areas requiring improvement.

He disclosed that WAHO would launch the evaluation process in 2027, adding that the findings would provide evidence to guide future interventions and support engagement with political authorities in member states.

The Director-General identified cross-border training, mobility of health professionals, exchange of knowledge and skills, training of trainers and joint research networks as important measures for strengthening regional cooperation and improving healthcare delivery.

He said WAHO would continue working with governments, professional bodies and development partners to implement decisions aimed at strengthening health workforce capacity across the region.

Earlier, Head of Training and Human Resources for Health at WAHO, Prof. Joseph Olorunda, outlined the objectives of the 11th statutory meeting, emphasising the need to establish and regularly review regional standards for the training of health professionals.

He said the council was also expected to ensure that harmonised training curricula complied with regional standards and to facilitate the accreditation of health training programmes and institutions across ECOWAS in partnership with relevant regulatory and professional bodies.

Olorunda added that the council would intensify advocacy with governments of member states to secure the political commitment required to strengthen health professionals’ education and training.

He listed the major deliverables of the meeting to include reviewing draft guidelines for harmonising university education systems across the ECOWAS region and submitting a revised regional framework for the recognition and equivalence of certificates awarded to health professionals.

Other deliverables include reviewing the roadmap for capacity development and health workforce training in the region, deliberating on criteria for the recognition and equivalence of professional certificates, and making recommendations to improve the functioning of the Regional Council.

He said WAHO would continue to pursue its mandate of scaling up coordinated efforts in health workforce training, development, motivation and retention, while promoting Universal Health Coverage and the recognition of professional qualifications across West Africa.

He also highlighted the importance of borderless training, professional mobility, skills exchange, joint research and greater integration among ECOWAS member states.

In his remarks, the representative of the West African Colleges, Prof. Yao Tettey, congratulated Pitche on his appointment as WAHO Director-General and pledged the cooperation of postgraduate professional colleges in advancing the organisation’s regional health agenda.

Tettey commended WAHO for involving professional colleges in the development of regional policy documents and frameworks designed to promote uniform training, professional practice and the free movement of health workers across the sub-region.

He disclosed that some postgraduate colleges had already incorporated WAHO’s harmonised curricula into their training programmes and accreditation criteria.

However, he expressed concern that some of the regional policy documents requiring adoption and implementation at national level were not receiving adequate attention from governments.

He therefore urged WAHO to use its engagement with the Assembly of Health Ministers to encourage member states to adopt and implement the harmonised frameworks.

According to him, effective implementation would help improve health workforce retention, facilitate the movement of professionals across borders and address the uneven distribution of health workers in the region.

He further expressed optimism that the documents being considered at the meeting would help address the growing migration of health professionals, commonly described as the ‘japa syndrome’, by strengthening training and retention frameworks.

Tettey reaffirmed the commitment of the postgraduate colleges to working with WAHO and other stakeholders to advance the harmonisation agenda.

The meeting is expected to produce recommendations and regional frameworks that will guide the recognition of professional qualifications, harmonisation of health education systems and development of the health workforce across ECOWAS member states.

The outcomes are also expected to strengthen cooperation among governments, universities, professional councils and postgraduate colleges in building a more integrated and responsive West African health system.