Ebola border surveillance Nigeria measures strengthened as NIS reassures citizens over border monitoring and disease prevention

The Nigeria Immigration Service has reassured Nigerians that the country’s land borders are being actively monitored amid growing concerns over the Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

Also read: FG reassures Nigerians over Ebola threat

Speaking in an interview on Friday, the NIS spokesperson, Akinsola Akinlabi, dismissed fears that Nigeria’s land borders could become unchecked entry routes for the deadly virus.

According to him, all border crossing points in the country are manned and supported by digital surveillance systems designed to monitor routes beyond the reach of personnel.

The comments come amid heightened regional concerns following the recent spread of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola across parts of Central and East Africa.

“Our borders are not porous. Anyone who comes in through our borders is known. They must show proper documents, including an international health certificate,” Akinlabi said.

The Ebola border surveillance Nigeria measures are particularly significant given the country’s more than 4,000 kilometres of shared land borders with Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, where informal crossing routes have historically raised security and public health concerns.

Akinlabi, however, insisted that border security should not be judged solely by the existence of informal routes.

“For us, a porous border is one that is not manned,” he stated.

He explained that the Federal Government had invested in technology-driven systems such as the Integrated Border Management System and the Migration Information and Data Analysis System to strengthen monitoring capabilities.

“With the expansiveness of our borders, we are using technology to close that gap, monitor and police the border in a way that it is secured,” he added.

The NIS spokesperson also said the service would continue to work closely with health authorities, including the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Ministry of Health, to determine the level of response required.

“Normally, we will wait for the advisory from the NCDC and the health ministry in this case,” he said.

The current Ebola outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization on May 17, 2026, after the Bundibugyo strain killed dozens of people in the DRC and spread into Uganda.

According to health authorities, the outbreak was first detected in Mongbwalu Health Zone in Ituri Province, northeastern DRC, before spreading to other locations, including the capitals of both affected countries.

As of May 19, officials had recorded 536 suspected cases, 105 probable cases, 34 confirmed cases and 134 deaths linked to the outbreak.

The Ebola border surveillance Nigeria response has also prompted increased health checks at airports.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria recently confirmed that screening protocols have been intensified at international airports for passengers arriving from high-risk regions.