The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, announced the intervention during a press briefing on Sunday, October 25, 2026, explaining that the financial assistance was introduced to reduce the economic burden on individuals undergoing public health monitoring.
According to Idris, some of the affected persons complained about the cost of feeding, accommodation and providing for their families while complying with isolation and quarantine requirements.
The NCDC boss explained that the agency was already covering accommodation and feeding expenses but decided to introduce additional financial support following complaints from those affected.
"We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding. Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families," Idris said.
He added, "We are providing N100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding, because they were complaining."
Idris disclosed that the intervention was not part of the agency's initial outbreak response plan but became necessary because of the emergency circumstances.
"This was not planned for, but it is an emergency. We will continue to review it as we go along," he stated.
The NCDC Director-General also called on state governments across the country to strengthen their emergency preparedness, stressing that financial and logistical support for people affected by infectious disease outbreaks should not be limited to the Federal Capital Territory.
He maintained that other states must be ready to provide similar assistance if public health emergencies occur within their jurisdictions.
"This is not the responsibility of the FCT alone. What we have to do for the FCT, we have to do for any other state, just in case," Idris said.
The announcement follows the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Abuja on October 20, prompting intensified contact tracing, surveillance and infection prevention measures.
According to the NCDC, Nigeria had recorded one confirmed case as of Sunday's briefing, while 53 primary contacts had been identified for monitoring.
The contacts reportedly include healthcare workers, household members, domestic staff and personnel involved in collecting samples from the infected patient.
Idris explained that the identified contacts were being assessed according to their level of exposure, with public health teams monitoring them for symptoms throughout the 21-day incubation period following their last possible exposure.
He added that anyone who develops symptoms during the monitoring period would undergo further medical assessment and testing.
The NCDC also disclosed that one contact who reported feeling unwell had tested negative for the virus, while surveillance activities remained ongoing.
The confirmed patient is a woman who recently travelled to Nigeria from Uganda and subsequently tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus.
She reportedly developed symptoms on October 7, sought medical attention at a healthcare facility in Abuja on October 11 and received laboratory confirmation of the infection on October 20.
The World Health Organisation identified the infection as an imported case, while investigations continued to determine the likely source of exposure.
Meanwhile, the NCDC has intensified infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities, including training health workers and supporting the availability of protective equipment and laboratory supplies.
The agency said lessons from Nigeria's successful containment of the 2014 Ebola outbreak were being applied to the current response.
Idris urged Nigerians to cooperate with public health officials, avoid spreading unverified information and support contact tracing efforts to prevent further transmission.
The ₦100,000 weekly payment is intended for eligible individuals affected by the current isolation and quarantine arrangements, rather than a general payment to all residents of Abuja or Nigerians nationwide.
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