Nigeria records no new ebola cases 21 days after imported infection

Nigeria has recorded no additional confirmed cases of Ebola Virus Disease, 21 days after confirming an imported case of the Bundibugyo virus in a traveller from Uganda.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed this on Tuesday in a statement signed by its Director-General, Jide Idris.

NCDC noted that 28 people identified as contacts of the confirmed case were still under monitoring, while 34 others had completed their individual 21-day follow-up.

“As of 9 November 2026, Nigeria had confirmed only one imported case of Bundibugyo Virus Disease, with no additional confirmed cases.”

The agency added that the 21 days since the first case was confirmed should not be confused with the individual monitoring period for each contact.

“A person identified as a contact does not necessarily have Ebola. Follow-up enables health teams to identify symptoms early and respond safely,” the statement said.

It added that surveillance and investigations of reported alerts were continuing across the country.

The NCDC urged healthcare workers in public and private facilities to remain alert, ask patients about their travel history and possible exposure, and promptly notify public health authorities when Ebola is suspected.

It also advised anyone experiencing symptoms after possible exposure to avoid contact with others and call its toll-free line, 6232, for guidance before travelling to a health facility.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials.

Other disease threats

Beyond Ebola, the NCDC raised concerns about other infectious diseases affecting parts of the country, including dengue fever, chikungunya and diphtheria.

It said dengue fever had been confirmed in Sokoto and Zamfara states, while chikungunya had been confirmed in Sokoto.

The NCDC said it had deployed National Rapid Response Teams, including entomologists from the National Arbovirus Research Centre in Enugu, to support affected states with case identification, laboratory investigations, clinical readiness, community engagement and mosquito control.

It also warned Nigerians not to assume every fever is malaria.

“Dengue and Chikungunya can cause fever, headache and body or joint pain. Dengue fever can become life-threatening if warning signs are missed,” the agency said.

It advised residents to eliminate stagnant water, cover water containers and protect themselves against mosquito bites, noting that the mosquitoes responsible for spreading the infections often bite during the day.

The agency also urged states to strengthen surveillance, diagnostic capacity and vaccination efforts against cerebrospinal meningitis as the dry season advances.

On diphtheria, the NCDC said children who had missed routine immunisations remained particularly vulnerable and urged parents to check their children’s vaccination status.

It further warned that Nigeria was entering the period when Lassa fever cases have historically increased, urging state authorities and health facilities to strengthen surveillance, testing, treatment readiness and infection prevention.

The agency also called on state governments to provide frontline health workers and response teams with adequate funding, equipment and logistical support.

As the festive season approaches, it urged event organisers, healthcare providers and state authorities to prepare for increased travel and mass gatherings by ensuring access to basic medical assistance, hygiene and clear arrangements for reporting suspected infections.

Regional spread of Ebola

The Nigerian case is part of a wider outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease, declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May 2026.

In its latest situation update published on 6 November, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the DRC had recorded 10,668 confirmed cases and 5,198 deaths as of 3 November, across 67 health zones in eight provinces.

Kenya had recorded nine confirmed cases and two deaths, while Nigeria had reported one imported case. WHO said there had been no new confirmed cases in Kenya or Nigeria since its previous update.

By Mariam Ileyemi, Premium Times

Nigeria approves 145 new oil wells so far this year

Nigeria's upstream oil regulator has approved ​145 new well-drilling operations, 595 well re-entries and ‌39 field development plans (FDPs) so far this year as it seeks to boost crude output, attract investment and strengthen ​energy security, a senior official said on ​Tuesday.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said ⁠the approvals reflected faster regulatory processing that has ​reduced project delays and costs for operators.

"Year to date, ​about 39 FDPs have been approved. About 145 new well-drilling approvals granted. Year to date, about 595 well re-entry approvals ​were granted," NUPRC Chief Executive Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan said ​at an oil conference in Lagos.

Eyesan, represented by Ahmad Abdullahi, ‌deputy ⁠director of basin administration, said faster approvals were helping operators advance projects needed to meet production targets and support energy availability.

She said Nigeria had more ​than 100 drilling ​rigs, with ⁠46 active this year, up more than 300% from 2021 levels.

Eyesan also said ​seismic companies had invested more than $100 ​million ⁠in Nigeria since the Petroleum Industry Act came into force three years ago, improving exploration data and supporting ⁠efforts ​to discover new oil and ​gas reserves.

The regulator is also working to curb crude theft across ​the country.

By Camillus Eboh, Reuters

Generators in Lagos emit an estimated 43 million tons of CO2 equivalent a year

Generators in Nigeria's Lagos State produce an estimated 43 million U.S. tons (39 million tonnes) of carbon dioxide equivalent pollution each year. They're a part of an unreliable electricity system that leaves residents and businesses dependent on burning fuel for power.
Here's what to know

The national grid has been supplying only about 20% of Lagos State's electricity demand, according to Punch. To fill the gap, roughly 4.5 million fuel-burning generators have been in operation across the state, said Biodun Ogunleye, the state's commissioner for energy and mineral resources, as Punch relayed.

The generator count and annual emissions estimate came from research conducted in 2024 by Sustainable Energy for All alongside the Lagos State Government. Ogunleye presented the findings at a panel focused on city regeneration and urban renewal.

Noise and air pollution were among the most concerning consequences Ogunleye attributed to generator use. Reliance on fuel-burning generators has also left residents and businesses grappling with higher energy bills.

More background

Discussing productivity in cities, Ogunleye used the phrase "the invisible constraint" to describe unreliable electricity, according to Punch.​​ To address the situation, Ogunleye called for dependable energy infrastructure in the places where people already live.

To ensure reliable supplies, Ogunleye would link utility planning with land use, and services would be required to meet measurable standards.

What's being done?

Under two potential energy projects that Ogunleye described, neighborhood-scale energy infrastructure would provide more of the capacity required to supply both businesses and households.

Victoria Island Power, a commercial district upgrade under development, has 40 megawatts of planned embedded capacity. A dedicated, 7.8-mile (12.6-kilometer) underground feeder network is also planned to supply businesses in the area, according to Punch.

The other project would bring the dormant Akute independent power plant back into use. The existing facility had 26 MW of base contracted capacity and was due to undergo rehabilitation in 2026, providing power for public services.

For Ogunleye, these district-scale projects can help address local residents' reliance on millions of individual generators as primary power sources.

"An older city does not need a new identity. It needs a new operating system. Renewal is not the demolition of the past. It is the restoration of the city's ability to serve the future," Ogunleye concluded.

By Daniel John, TDC

Video - Nigeria and Sahel states seek renewed security cooperation

Nigeria is seeking closer military cooperation with Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to strengthen regional efforts against terrorism. The proposed partnership aims to revive intelligence sharing and coordinate cross-border operations, which have been disrupted by political divisions following the three countries’ withdrawal from ECOWAS.

CGTN Africa

Nigerian Army destroys suspected criminal hideouts in Old Oyo National Park

Troops of the Nigerian Army have recovered an AK-47 rifle and destroyed suspected criminal hideouts during a security operation in the Old Oyo National Park, where armed groups have been accused of operating.

The operation conducted on November 7 and 8 by troops of Operation IGBO DANU II under the Army’s 2 Division, also led to the recovery of a Dane gun and an empty magazine, while the body of a suspected criminal was discovered during a follow-up operation.

The Nigerian Army disclosed this in a statement published on its official website on Monday, saying the operation was carried out in collaboration with hybrid forces.

It stated that troops encountered suspected criminal elements inside the park on 7 November, but the suspects fled as the soldiers advanced towards them.

The troops subsequently recovered an AK-47 rifle, an empty magazine and a Dane gun, which the Army said had further weakened the capabilities of the fleeing suspects.

“On 7 November 2026, troops conducting operations within the park engaged suspected criminal elements who fled upon sighting the advancing troops,” the Army said.

During a follow-up operation the following day, soldiers discovered the corpse of one of the suspects who had fled during the initial encounter.

The Army also said the troops destroyed temporary shelters believed to have been used as hideouts by criminal elements operating within the forest.

It added that the operation was part of efforts to dismantle criminal networks, disrupt their activities and prevent armed groups from using forested areas as safe havens.

“Exploitation of the general area is ongoing to track fleeing elements and prevent their regrouping,” the statement added.

The Army did not identify the deceased suspect or disclose the exact location of the encounter within the national park. It also did not provide details about the origin of the recovered weapons.

The operation followed the launch of Operation IGBO DANU, also known as Operation Forest Flush, in January 2026, which targeted bandit enclaves in Kwara State.

Park’s security concerns

The latest operation comes amid growing security concerns over the use of the Old Oyo National Park as a hideout by suspected kidnappers and other criminal groups.

On 15 May, 46 pupils and teachers were abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and taken into the national park.

The difficult terrain reportedly posed challenges to rescue efforts before security agencies eventually freed the victims on July 10, after 56 days in captivity.

The rescue operation involved the military and other security agencies and was reportedly driven by intelligence gathering and efforts to dismantle the kidnappers’ networks, informants and hideouts within the park.

PREMIUM TIMES reported in October that the the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Army’s 2 Division, Auwalu Mahmuda, a major general, announced that the military had taken over the entire park as a training ground to prevent criminal groups from using the forest as a hideout.

The latest operation forms part of Operation IGBO DANU II, a military campaign aimed at flushing out armed groups and denying them safe havens in forested areas.

By Abubakar Abdulrasheed, Premium Times