General News
Lagos Airport Reviews Ebola Emergency Response, Tightens Passenger Monitoring
Lagos State Government has intensified surveillance and emergency preparedness measures at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, even as it moved to prevent the importation of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), into Nigeria following renewed outbreaks in parts of East and Central Africa.
At MMIA, Lagos, Lagos State government health officials and Port Health Services undertook a joint inspection of the airport’s preparedness facilities to assess its capacity to detect, monitor and respond to any potential Ebola threat.
Leading a high-powered preparedness inspection and facility assessment at the country”s busiest international gateway, Prof. Akin Abayomi, Lagos State commissioner for Health, warned that MMIA remains Nigeria’s most vulnerable entry point for imported infectious diseases because it handles about 70 per cent of international passenger traffic into the country.
Abayomi said Lagos was strengthening systems for early detection, rapid isolation and emergency evacuation of suspected Ebola cases, while also improving digital surveillance and passenger monitoring for travellers arriving from countries classified as high-risk.
His words: “The primary purpose of our visit is to understand how we can support your efforts, identify existing gaps and jointly develop practical solutions. Our objective is to create a bottleneck for the virus, not for passengers.”
Recalling Nigeria’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014 after the virus was imported into Lagos from Liberia, Abayomi said the outbreak remains one of the most important public health lessons in the nation’s history.
“Almost eleven years ago, we experienced the importation of Ebola into Lagos from Liberia during the largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history. We were able to contain what became a relatively small outbreak in Lagos, thanks to the sacrifices of dedicated healthcare workers, including the late Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh,” he said.
According to him, the painful memories of the 2014 outbreak continue to remind health authorities that preparedness must remain constant in an era of increasing global travel and interconnectedness.
He added that lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic further reinforced the need for close collaboration between Lagos State and federal agencies operating at the airport, noting that the partnership helped establish one of the country’s strongest passenger surveillance systems.
Abayomi disclosed that authorities were also considering measures to reduce interaction between passengers arriving from designated high-risk countries and other travellers without disrupting airport operations.
The inspection tour brought together officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Health, the Lagos State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, Port Health Services, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.
Also speaking during the visit, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, special adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Health, described airport personnel as Nigeria’s frontline defence against imported infectious diseases.
“The frontline actually begins here at our ports of entry. As passengers arrive, you are among the very first people to interact with them, making your role critical in our disease surveillance and response efforts,” Ogunyemi said.
She stressed that health security must be treated with the same seriousness as every other national security concern and assured airport workers of the state government’s continued support.
Dr. Dayo Lajide, permanent secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, commended the collaboration between airport authorities, Port Health Services and state officials, describing it as critical to strengthening preparedness against diseases of international concern such as Ebola.
Lajide urged frontline workers to remain vigilant and adhere strictly to infection prevention and control protocols while carrying out surveillance duties.
“As frontline responders, your safety is paramount. Continue to follow all IPC measures diligently because while you are protecting Nigeria from potential health threats, you must also ensure that you are protected from exposure and risk,” she said.
Earlier, Olatokunbo Arewa, the Airport Manager and Regional General Manager, South-West MMIA, disclosed that additional preparedness infrastructure, including touchless hand-sanitiser systems and temperature-detection equipment, had already been deployed across the airport.
Arewa also revealed that discussions were ongoing regarding the establishment of dedicated arrival processing channels for passengers arriving from high-risk countries as part of efforts to strengthen surveillance and screening operations.
“Ebola is a highly dangerous disease and any suspected case must be isolated quickly and professionally to prevent transmission,” he warned.
Providing updates on airport preparedness, Dr. Lawal Abdullahi, head of Port Health Services at MMIA, disclosed that the airport reviewed and updated its Public Health Emergency Contingency Plan on March 18, 2026, ahead of the latest Ebola developments in East Africa.
According to him, the Airport Public Health Emergency Management Team had already been activated, while a comprehensive risk assessment was conducted to identify countries of concern and guide surveillance activities at the airport.
Abdullahi added that passenger screening mechanisms were deployed before the activation of the national health declaration platform and that traveller information was routinely shared with Lagos State epidemiology teams to strengthen follow-up and response activities.
Also, Dr. Bilkis Ibrahim, general manager, Aviation Medical Services, FAAN, disclosed that additional personal protective equipment, multilingual health advisories and staff training programmes were being deployed to strengthen preparedness among airport workers.
Dr. Abayomi Asunbo, Aeromedical assessor of the NCAA, also revealed that the regulatory authority had directed all airlines operating designated international routes to comply fully with public health protocols before passengers are cleared into Nigeria.
The Lagos State officials, airport authorities and federal agencies reaffirmed their commitment to coordinated surveillance, rapid response and information sharing aimed at protecting Lagos and Nigeria from Ebola and other infectious disease threats.
The high point of the visit was the inspection of major screening points and emergency response facilities at MMIA.
Nigeria is experiencing a complex cybersecurity landscape where reported fraud incidents have decreased by nearly 46 percent over the past four years, yet financial losses from cybercrime are on the rise, according to Check Point Software.
This trend is attributed to sophisticated schemes developed by cybercriminals who are increasingly targeting the nation’s rapidly digitizing economy, with further coverage provided by Dark Reading.
Nigeria’s digital transformation has made it a prime target for cybercriminals.
In June 2026, organizations in the country faced an average of 4,361 attempted attacks weekly, ranking it second in Africa for cyber threats.
While the volume of detected threats fluctuates, it consistently remains elevated, often double the global average.
The Nigerian government is developing a new cybersecurity framework, expected later this year, which will mandate incident reporting, set minimum cybersecurity investment levels, and foster public-private collaboration.
Despite a decrease in the number of reported fraud incidents, financial losses have escalated, with digital payment fraud reaching ₦25.85 billion (US$18.7 million) in 2025.
Insider threats, including SIM swap fraud and account compromise, are significant contributors to these losses. Many organizations, particularly smaller businesses, lack adequate training and resources, making them more vulnerable.
The country’s cybersecurity maturity is ranked at a moderate level, and effective enforcement of existing regulations, such as the Data Protection Act, will be crucial to combatting the growing financial impact of cyberattacks.
TotalEnergies, together with its partners Hydra Storage Holding and Reatile Renewables, inaugurates Hydra project, the largest hybrid renewable energy project in Africa, located in South Africa’s Northern Cape province.
The project combines a 216 MW solar photovoltaic plant with a 500 MWh battery energy storage system, marking a significant contribution to the country’s Just Energy Transition program that aims to decarbonise the economy thanks to renewable energy sources.
The facility will supply 75 MW of dispatchable renewable electricity to the national grid continuously between 5:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m., under a 20-year power purchase agreement signed with Eskom. This represents more than 400 GWh of electricity per year, equivalent to the consumption of approximately 200,000 South African households.
“We are delighted, together with our partners Reatile Renewables and Hydra Storage Holding, to bring the Hydra project into operation. It enables us to supply dispatchable renewable power to the South African grid, thereby strengthening the country’s energy security while decarbonising its electricity generation.
This project reinforces our renewable production capacity in South Africa, the continent’s largest power market in terms of electricity consumption”, said Magali Pailhé, Managing Director of TotalEnergies Southern Africa.
Hydra project has been developed by a consortium composed of TotalEnergies (35%), Hydra Storage Holding (35%) and Reatile Renewables (30%). It is part of the South Africa’s Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme launched by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.
General News
BOI Pledges to Drive Nigeria’s Cocoa and Dairy Sectors with 70% of its €85m EIB Facility
Bank of Industry (BOI) has secured a €60 million credit facility from the European Investment Bank to fund Nigeria’s cocoa and dairy value addition drive, with a focus on processing, ingredients and chocolate manufacturing.
Dr. Olasupo Olusi, Managing Director/CEO of BOI, disclosed this on Tuesday, during the Africa Cocoa Summit convened in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment with the aim of transitioning Africa from exporting raw beans to local processing and branding.
Also known as the Cocoa Value Addition Summit with the theme: ‘From Bean to Brand,’ it was attended by leaders and stakeholders from Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon who signed the Abuja Declaration to establish the Cocoa Value Addition Alliance (CVAA).
According to Olusi, the €60 million forms part of the €85 million EIB–BOI facility, backed by the European Union under the Global Gateway initiative, and designed specifically to strengthen these critical sectors in Nigeria.
“This agreement reinforces the Bank of Industry’s commitment to unlocking long-term, affordable finance for priority sectors that drive inclusive growth. Approximately 70% of the €85 million financing facility will be channeled to Nigeria’s cocoa and dairy sectors, which BOI considers among the industries with the greatest potential to create jobs and retain foreign exchange earnings.”
“We are particularly focused on cocoa value chains, which provide livelihoods for thousands of Nigerians. Through this initiative, we aim to enhance productivity, value addition, and market linkages that will directly improve the incomes of farmers and processors,” he said.
The BOI MD said that the bank would prioritise lending to processors, cooperatives, and MSMEs that add value locally, rather than only to traders exporting raw beans, adding that the era of celebrating volume of raw exports must end, as Nigeria loses billions by shipping beans and importing finished chocolate. According to him, the goal is to create factories around cocoa communities so that value, jobs, and taxes remain in Nigeria.
However, Olusi noted that financing alone is not enough, and as such, BOI will complement the loans with technical assistance on compliance, climate standards, and access to the EU market. BOI, he said, will also support farmers and processors to meet the EU Deforestation Regulation and other international environmental and social standards.
Citing BOI’s track record, Olusi said the bank disbursed over ₦164 billion in 2025 to more than 3,500 agro and food-processing businesses. The support financed factories, mills, packhouses, and cold chains, and linked nearly 48,000 smallholder farmers into industrial value chains.
He said the new financing would target the entire ecosystem, from nurseries and farmer cooperatives to grinding plants, ingredient factories, packaging lines, and chocolate manufacturers.
Speaking also at the summit, President Bola Tinubu called for a decisive shift from Africa’s long-standing dependence on exporting raw cocoa beans, urging producing countries to prioritise value addition and capture a larger share of the global chocolate industry’s wealth.
The President who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, noted that although Africa accounts for about 70 per cent of global cocoa production, the continent retains only six cents of every dollar generated by the global chocolate industry.
He stressed that Nigeria was committed to processing more of its cocoa locally, expanding chocolate manufacturing, building indigenous brands and competing more effectively in international markets, rather than continuing to export raw cocoa beans.
According to the President, cocoa value addition remains a key component of the Renewed Hope Agenda and the country’s broader industrialisation strategy, and disclosed that investors are developing a 70,000-tonne cocoa processing facility in Shagamu, Ogun State, while Nigeria’s cocoa grinding capacity has already surpassed 120,000 tonnes annually.
Earlier, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said the summit aligns with the Federal Government’s ambition of building a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
She observed that despite Nigeria’s significant contribution to global cocoa production, the country continues to earn only a small fraction of the value created across the cocoa value chain.
According to Oduwole, the Federal Government is promoting greater value addition through manufacturing incentives, investment promotion and stronger collaboration among relevant institutions.
She added that the government would also deepen market access by leveraging existing trade partnerships and opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), while encouraging investors to take advantage of regional and global value chains to unlock the sector’s full economic potential.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, described the summit as another milestone in implementing Nigeria’s Industrial Policy, and announced plans for the establishment of the Cocoa Value Addition Alliance, bringing together Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon, countries that collectively account for about 75 percent of global cocoa production.
According to Enoh, the alliance is designed to strengthen regional cooperation, promote local processing, and enable producing countries to capture greater value from the global cocoa market.
“We are not here to disrupt existing partnerships but to expand them,” he said.
Enoh urged African cocoa-producing nations to move beyond exporting raw beans and instead focus on developing branded cocoa products capable of competing successfully in global markets.
On his part, the Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Ransford Abbey, urged African cocoa-producing countries to deepen domestic processing.
“I am here to support the effort and commit to a joint effort towards increasing value for our hardworking cocoa farmers and our respective economies,” Abbey said.
He said Africa produced about 75 per cent of the world’s cocoa but earned less than 10 per cent of the global chocolate industry’s wealth.
“This system cannot continue. We must shift the paradigm from exporting raw poverty to creating refined wealth right here on the African continent,” he said, adding that stronger regional collaboration, investment and technology transfer will help African countries capture greater value from the global cocoa economy.
The Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Massimo De Luca, reiterated the importance of value addition in the cocoa value chain. While expressing the support of the EU, he called on governments of the various countries to ensure they play their part in ensuring that proper framework necessary for the success of the initiative was established and clarified.
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