The Federal Government, through the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has instructed the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to immediately place 46 identified contacts of a confirmed Ebola virus patient on the national no-fly list.
The directive forms part of emergency public health containment measures designed to prevent potential secondary transmission through domestic and international air transport networks following a confirmed outbreak case.
The 46 affected individuals were identified through contact-tracing protocols conducted by public health authorities after coming into direct contact with the index patient in the Democratic Republic of Congo before traveling into Nigeria. Aviation authorities confirmed that all domestic and international airlines operating within Nigerian airspace have been directed to deny boarding access to the listed individuals during their compulsory 21-day health observation period.
Addressing the health safety directive, Mr. Keyamo emphasized that aviation regulatory bodies and airport port health services are maintaining round-the-clock coordination with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure full enforcement across all passenger terminals.
”The safety and health of the travelling public and the nation at large remain our utmost priority. We are taking proactive and decisive measures in alignment with national health protocols to ensure that all primary contacts are effectively tracked, monitored, and restricted from commercial flights until cleared by medical experts,” the Minister stated.
Under the operational guidelines issued to airport security personnel and passenger screening checkpoints, all ticket reservation systems and automated departure control platforms across Nigerian airports have been updated with the identities of the flagged contacts.
Public health surveillance personnel deployed to major international hubs, including Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, have heightened passenger body temperature screening and secondary health checks. Authorities reaffirmed that the restriction is a targeted epidemiological measure and advised members of the general public to remain calm while adhering to standard personal hygiene guidelines.
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