The House of Representatives has raised the alarm over what it described as a critical funding crisis facing the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), warning that the agency’s capacity to respond to a potential Ebola outbreak and other public health emergencies has been significantly weakened.
The concern followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by the member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State, Amobi Ogah.
Moving the motion, Ogah said recent developments in Central Africa have underscored the need for Nigeria to strengthen its disease surveillance and emergency response systems.
He noted that on May 15, 2026, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported an Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, involving the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
According to him, the outbreak poses a serious threat to countries across the continent, including Nigeria.
Ogah recalled that on May 25, 2026, the NCDC placed Nigeria on high alert over the risk of Ebola importation and announced measures aimed at strengthening national preparedness.
However, he questioned the agency’s ability to effectively implement those measures amid severe financial constraints.
“It is known that the NCDC received no operational funding in 2025, with no capital releases made to date against the approved 2026 allocation.
“Furthermore, the overhead releases are highly irregular and grossly inadequate. This is a direct violation of basic international standards and constitutes an abuse of the Appropriations Acts.
“How then can the preparedness of the centre for emergencies be guaranteed?”
The lawmaker warned that declining government releases and reduced donor support have significantly weakened Nigeria’s health security architecture.
He said the funding shortfall has left the agency struggling to meet critical responsibilities, including outbreak preparedness, laboratory operations, disease surveillance, and emergency response activities.
“It is extremely disturbing to note that this prolonged funding gap has critically constrained core national functions, including outbreak response operations, laboratory services, surveillance systems, logistics coordination, and frontline emergency preparedness activities in Nigeria,” he said.
Ogah also painted a grim picture of conditions within the NCDC, citing unpaid contractors, stalled laboratory and treatment centre projects, shortages of diagnostic materials, weak biosafety infrastructure, and inadequate emergency response capacity.
According to him, “Laboratory reagents, consumables, and other materials critical for outbreak screening and diagnosis are almost completely out of stock.”
Nigeria earned international recognition for successfully containing the Ebola outbreak that entered the country in 2014 through an infected traveller from Liberia.
Public health experts have since stressed that maintaining such response capacity requires sustained investment in disease surveillance, laboratory networks, and emergency preparedness systems.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House urged the executive arm of government to immediately release adequate funds appropriated for the NCDC to enable the agency to clear outstanding liabilities and maintain uninterrupted operations.
Lawmakers also called on port health authorities to strengthen cross-border surveillance and screening measures to prevent the entry of infected persons into the country.
In addition, the House mandated its Committee on Infectious Diseases to monitor the utilisation of released funds and report back for further legislative action.
The Committee on Legislative Compliance was also directed to ensure strict implementation of the House’s resolutions.
