The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it is maintaining heightened vigilance across airport operations following the confirmation of the country’s first reported Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The agency said it was working with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Port Health Services, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and other relevant agencies to support ongoing containment efforts.

FAAN said the early identification of the case and the commencement of contact tracing underscored the importance of established public health protocols, effective surveillance, and inter-agency collaboration in responding to potential health threats.

“FAAN is maintaining heightened vigilance across airport operations and will continue to coordinate with public health authorities, align its response with further guidance, and support additional measures considered necessary to safeguard passengers, airport personnel, and the wider public,” the agency said in a statement issued by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire.

It urged passengers, airport users, airlines, and other stakeholders to remain calm, vigilant, and cooperative with health officials.

“The public is also advised to rely on verified information and avoid spreading unconfirmed reports,” the statement added.

“FAAN reassures the travelling public of its continued readiness to work with relevant agencies to protect public health and support the safe operation of Nigeria’s airports.”

The Federal Government confirmed a case of Ebola in the FCT on Wednesday.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, told journalists at a media briefing in Abuja that laboratory tests had confirmed an imported case of Ebola virus disease.

Pate disclosed that the patient was a woman who had recently travelled to Uganda and returned to Nigeria with symptoms on October 7. Her symptoms reportedly worsened four days later, before tests confirmed the infection.

However, Ugandan authorities denied reports of an Ebola outbreak in the East African country.

In a statement, Uganda’s Ministry of Health said the location of the patient’s exposure remained under investigation, adding that travel through Uganda alone was insufficient to establish where the infection occurred.

The ministry also said the Nigerian Government had yet to provide detailed information about the patient’s travel itinerary and clinical history, which it said would help guide further investigations and any necessary contact tracing.

The development follows an outbreak of the disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May, which has been linked to the spread of the deadly viral haemorrhagic disease to several countries across the continent.

Kenya reported its ninth Ebola case on Tuesday.

The Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr. Jean Kaseya, said the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak had become the most geographically widespread in history, affecting multiple countries across three regions of Africa.

According to health authorities, the DRC’s Ebola epidemic has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with 4,381 deaths recorded among more than 9,000 confirmed cases.