The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved N45.08 billion for the deployment of an integrated biosecurity and disease surveillance system at five international airports. This move aims to strengthen Nigeria's capacity to detect dangerous pathogens and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The project, which will be implemented through a 20-year public-private partnership with the BioHealth Consortium, will deploy specialised technologies, including aircraft wastewater surveillance, air and surface sampling, and advanced pathogen detection systems.
The five airports covered by the initiative are those in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Enugu. According to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, the system will improve the detection of emerging infectious diseases, strengthen coordination among relevant agencies, and enhance health security at Nigeria's borders. The investment is expected to provide the country with additional capacity to identify biological threats and respond to potential public health emergencies before they develop into wider outbreaks.
As part of the health update, Pate confirmed that an Ebola patient recorded in October had recovered. He added that contact tracing and other containment measures were continuing to prevent community transmission of the disease. This recent development comes after the Federal Executive Council approved the National Biosecurity Policy and Action Plan 2022–2026 in 2021 to protect human health, the environment, and Nigeria's socioeconomic development from harmful biological agents.
The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) had convened a stakeholders' consultative meeting in January 2020 to develop the policy and action plan. The meeting followed a July 2019 amendment to the agency's enabling law, which mandated it to put measures in place to ensure biosecurity in Nigeria. After several reviews, stakeholders validated the draft policy and action plan in September 2021 before it was presented to the Federal Executive Council for approval.
The airport biosecurity project represents another step towards strengthening the country's capacity to monitor and respond to biological threats through coordinated surveillance and specialised technology. The government has also pursued technology-driven reforms in the aviation sector, although some of these initiatives focus on security rather than public health. In April 2026, the Federal Government approved the deployment of a contactless biometric passenger verification system, known as VPASS, across domestic airports.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced the approval of VPASS on April 9, 2026, during the signing of a concession agreement in Abuja. Keyamo said the system was designed to eliminate inconsistencies in passenger data and ensure that travellers on domestic flights were properly identified. He added that the government planned to extend the system to private aviation as part of efforts to improve transparency, accountability, and safety.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) also highlighted the use of facial recognition technology to reduce reliance on physical identification and make passenger processing more efficient. While VPASS is intended to strengthen aviation security, the newly approved N45.08 billion biosecurity initiative focuses on disease surveillance and the early detection of dangerous pathogens at major international entry points.
Key points
- The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved N45.08 billion for disease surveillance systems at five international airports.
- The project aims to improve detection of emerging infectious diseases and enhance health security at Nigeria's borders.
- The initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen Nigeria's capacity to monitor and respond to biological threats.
