The Lagos State Government has activated the Incident Management Structure (IMS) of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) as part of measures to strengthen prevention and preparedness against any possible outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the state.

The IMS activation followed Tuesday’s Lagos PHEOC emergency meeting in response to the outbreak of the disease in DR Congo, where 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths, including four health workers, have been reported.

At the meeting, an epidemiology overview of the DRC outbreak was reviewed, while pillar leads presented a preparedness checklist spanning infection prevention and control (IPC), surveillance, contact tracing, case management, laboratory capacity, evacuation, risk communication, budget and logistics.

Speaking after the meeting, the Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Olusegun Ogboye, represented by the Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health Ismail Abdus-Salam, said the activation of the IMS is a proactive step given Lagos’ vulnerability as a major gateway with three points of entry.

According to him, Lagos is “largely ready,” with an isolation centre that can accommodate between 14 and 18 beds each for suspected and confirmed cases.

He noted that surveillance, laboratory and IPC systems are functional, while the first batch of training for frontline health workers across all pillars will commence immediately.

The Officer-in-Charge of Port Health Services at Murtala Muhammed International Airport and head of the Point of Entry (PoE) team, Dr. Abdullahi Lawal, said robust surveillance and IPC measures are being put in place at The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced plans to fully adopt computer-based testing (CBT) for its examinations by 2026, a move set to transform Nigeria’s education landscape.

While the initiative signals progress in digital learning, PPC Limited cautions that the ambitious target will only be achievable through strong collaboration between government and private sector partners.

The company is calling on government and stakeholders to forge robust public–private partnerships (PPPs) to ensure nationwide readiness. Nigeria has more than 23,550 government-owned secondary the airports to prevent importation of the virus.

He said the PHEOC had validated the Ebola fact sheets and advisories ,which will be disseminated to all tiers of health workers across public and private facilities in Lagos.

This, he explained, would ensure that doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists and other cadres of health workers are on alert. Addressing public concerns, Ogboye urged residents not to panic, stressing that the State Government has taken control measures.