Nigeria is set to strengthen disease surveillance at five major international airports following the Federal Executive Council’s approval of a $45.8 million biosecurity and response project designed to detect and contain infectious disease threats.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed the approval while addressing journalists after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House.
Pate said the project, which had been under preparation for two years, would be implemented through a 20-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) involving the Bio Health Consortium and its partners.
The initiative will cover Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu and Port Harcourt International Airport in Omagwa, Rivers State.
According to the minister, more than 18 million international passengers travel through Nigeria annually, making effective surveillance at the country’s entry points important for protecting public health.
“Since COVID, we have known that there are significant vulnerabilities in terms of public health threats crossing borders, and the need for coordinated, technology-driven systems for early warning, detection, and response to infectious disease threats,” Pate said.
Under the proposed arrangement, the project will operate through a Design, Finance, Build, Operate and Transfer framework. The private-sector partner will be responsible for financing, constructing, operating and maintaining the facilities throughout the concession period.
The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission will provide regulatory oversight, while ownership of the facilities is expected to return to the Federal Government at the end of the 20-year concession.
Pate said the project would provide modern infrastructure at points of entry, portable laboratory facilities for rapid testing and digital systems to support information sharing among agencies responsible for border management and public health.
The agencies expected to benefit from the coordinated data-sharing arrangements include the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Port Health Services, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
The minister also underscored the importance of early detection and coordinated responses to infectious diseases, citing Nigeria’s surveillance measures following reports of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He said Nigeria had maintained heightened surveillance at its points of entry before confirming a case on October 19. According to his briefing, the patient had recovered under Nigeria’s healthcare system, while contact-tracing activities were continuing.
The proposed biosecurity infrastructure is intended to improve the country’s ability to identify potential health threats among arriving passengers and facilitate a coordinated response by the relevant authorities.
Pate also addressed the proposed payment of ₦100,000 to people placed in quarantine, explaining that the support was intended to cater for their welfare during the period of isolation.
The project’s implementation will depend on the execution of the public-private partnership arrangement and the establishment of the proposed facilities and systems at the five designated airports.
