By Iyemah David
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said 86 per cent of Nigerian states now have functional Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs) that meet minimum operational standards.
The NCDC said that 32 out of 37 states are involved, describing the development as a significant progress in strengthening the country’s health security architecture.
Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris disclosed this in an interview on the sidelines of a health sector forum in Abuja.
He said the development reflected the Federal Government’s sustained investment in emergency preparedness under the National Health Reform Agenda.
Dr Idris said that the agenda prioritises disease prevention and control through strengthened surveillance systems, laboratory networks and coordinated emergency response mechanisms.
He noted that over the past 24 years, Nigeria had experienced multiple disease outbreaks, including Ebola, polio, cholera, Lassa fever, measles and antimicrobial resistance-related emergencies.
According to him, the NCDC has reoriented its strategy to emphasise prevention, early warning systems, detection, emergency preparedness and strategic partnerships.
“In resource-constrained environments, prevention is better than treatment. Our focus is to detect outbreaks early, respond rapidly and contain them before they escalate,” he said.
Dr Idris explained that the agency utilises digital surveillance platforms to track disease trends using data from hospitals, laboratories, communities and media monitoring systems.
“Once unusual patterns are identified, field teams are deployed to collect samples for laboratory confirmation, including genomic sequencing to detect variants and guide targeted interventions,” he said.
The NCDC boss said the agency had significantly expanded laboratory capacity across the country, establishing a coordinated network linking National Reference Laboratories in Abuja and Lagos with zonal and state public health laboratories.
“The laboratory network now covers about 84 per cent of the country’s geography, including 700 local government areas, enabling faster detection of infectious diseases.
“NCDC, in partnership with the Japanese Government, had established high-security public health laboratories in Abuja and Lagos capable of handling high-risk pathogens such as Ebola and Marburg viruses.
“Two biosecurity level-three laboratories had recently been supported to further strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to detect and respond to dangerous pathogens,” he said.
Recognising the link between human, animal and environmental health, Idris said the agency had institutionalised a One Health approach, working closely with the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources.
He said the integrated framework had improved surveillance of zoonotic diseases and enhanced coordinated responses to emerging health threats.
“So far, we have responded to 23 public health events across 15 states, strengthening real-time disease monitoring and operational support systems,” he said.
Dr Idris emphasised that beyond infrastructure and laboratory systems, community engagement remained central to outbreak prevention and control.
He said that NCDC works with state governments, traditional institutions, non-governmental organisations and international partners such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) to deploy trained personnel, medical supplies and vaccines during emergencies.
According to him, sustained public awareness campaigns are also helping to combat misinformation and stigma, encouraging early testing, vaccination uptake and treatment adherence.
Dr Idris stressed the need for continued collaboration among federal and state authorities, development partners and communities to sustain gains recorded in emergency preparedness.
“The fight against unusual ailments, antimicrobial resistance and emerging infections requires a coordinated effort.
“Together with communities, we can protect lives, promote early testing and prevent the spread of diseases in Nigeria,” he said.
