By Tony Okoh, Abuja

Nigeria’s Minister of Works Senator David Nweze Umahi, on Friday, Chaired the meeting of the 23rd Ministerial Steering Committee on Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project in Lomé, Togo in his capacity as chairman of that committee.

In a statement signed and made available to newsmen by Francis Nwaze, Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Works on Friday.

According to the statement, the meeting brings together key stakeholders from participating countries and development partners to review progress on one of West Africa’s most significant regional infrastructure projects, aimed at improving connectivity, facilitating trade, strengthening economic cooperation and promoting shared prosperity across the region.

As Chairman of the Steering Committee, Sen. Umahi is providing leadership at a critical stage of the project, which is expected to strengthen transportation links among countries along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor and improve the movement of people, goods and services across national borders.

The statement further revealed that ahead of the ministerial meeting, the 23rd Technical Meeting of the Committee of Experts, comprising the project directors and engineers, was held on October 26 and 27, 2026.

The experts reviewed progress across all project components and discussed strategies for advancing the technical studies required for the successful delivery of the highway.

Their deliberations also covered the project’s right-of-way, a critical requirement for construction activities; the continued operationalisation of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Management Authority (ALCoMA); and progress in mobilising investment financing by the African Development Bank, AfDB, the project’s Mandatory Lead Arranger, MLA. The experts further assessed complementary projects and activities being undertaken by other development partners to support the integrated development of the corridor.

At the ministerial level, the Steering Committee is expected to receive, consider and adopt the report and recommendations of the 23rd Technical Meeting of the Committee of Experts. This will provide an opportunity for the ministers to review the technical team’s findings, deliberate on outstanding issues and agree on the next steps required to move the project forward.

The African Development Bank will also present an update, in its capacity as Mandatory Lead Arranger, on the status of investment financing mobilisation for the project. The Steering Committee will deliberate on the presentation and provide feedback on the progress made and the actions required to advance the financing process.

In addition, the ALCoMA Board of Directors will present the reports and recommendations of its first and second board meetings for consideration by the steering committee.

The ministers will deliberate on the submissions and consider and approve relevant resolutions where necessary to strengthen coordination, improve implementation and ensure sustained progress on the project.

The Federal Ministry of Works, led by Senator Umahi, has been the vanguard of President Tinubu administration’s
infrastructure development campaign which the government sees as a strategic tool for unlocking economic opportunities and improving connectivity.

The Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project is a major regional undertaking designed to strengthen links between West African economies. Its successful implementation is expected to support trade, ease cross-border transportation and deepen economic integration among participating countries.

By our Correspondent

In an effort to curtail frther spread of Ebola in parts of ghe country,Federal Government has evacuated Nigeria’s Ebola index case to Switzerland for further medical care, while warning that the patient’s clinical improvement should not be interpreted as confirmation that she is no longer infectious.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, who spoke to newsmen in Abuja, said the patient’s condition had improved, with laboratory results approaching baseline levels, but stressed that public health precautions and containment measures remained in place.

Pate explained that an improvement in a patient’s clinical condition does not automatically mean the risk of transmitting the virus has ended.

“Clinical improvement does not necessarily mean that a patient is no longer infectious,” the minister said, emphasising the need for continued vigilance as health authorities sustain efforts to contain the outbreak.

“The patient was reportedly stable, conscious and able to communicate before the evacuation. Her spouse, who has remained asymptomatic, was also evacuated to Switzerland’, Pate said.

The evacuation forms part of the ongoing medical management of the case, as Nigerian health authorities continue surveillance and other public health interventions to prevent further spread of the virus.

The government has maintained that containment efforts remain active, with relevant agencies monitoring contacts and implementing measures aimed at identifying potential infections and limiting transmission.

Health authorities have also continued to stress the importance of adhering to established public health protocols, noting that the patient’s improving condition does not remove the need for precautionary measures.

The government’s position underscores the distinction between a patient showing signs of recovery and the determination of whether the person still poses an infection risk, which must be guided by appropriate clinical and laboratory assessments.

Nigeria is sustaining its response measures as health officials continue to monitor the situation and work to prevent further

By Our Correspondent

In a bid to state the true situation of Ebola spread in the country,Federal Government has declared tthat there is no evidence that the Ebola virus disease has spread into Nigerian communities, assuring citizens that the country’s response remains focused on containing the single confirmed imported case, as the patient shows significant improvement and may recover.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, gave the assurance at a ministerial press briefing on the government’s response to the outbreak, saying health authorities had intensified contact tracing, isolation and surveillance to prevent further transmission.

Pate disclosed that the patient, who developed symptoms a few days after arriving in Nigeria, was responding to treatment, with laboratory results indicating considerable improvement.

“Today, I spoke to the clinicians and I understand that her lab results are showing great improvement and there’s a possibility that she would recover from this,” he said.

The minister, however, cautioned that health authorities would not relax their efforts, stressing the need to sustain treatment and monitoring until the patient fully recovers.

He explained that the case was classified as imported because of the patient’s travel history, adding that she was asymptomatic when she arrived in Nigeria but developed symptoms a few days later.

According to him, contact tracing commenced immediately after the case was confirmed, with health authorities identifying contacts at hospitals, a private clinic attended by the patient and within her household.

Pate said the contacts had been categorised according to their levels of exposure, with high-risk individuals placed in a designated quarantine facility, while others were isolated in line with established public health guidelines.

“Our focus is on the contact tracing and ensuring that we know exactly where those contacts are and it doesn’t go into the communities. And at this moment, there is no evidence to indicate that,” he said.

The minister said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) was coordinating the operational response through the national incident management system, working closely with the Federal Capital Territory Administration and other relevant agencies.

He added that the federal government had briefed the Presidential Task Force, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the National Economic Council, chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, to ensure coordinated action at all levels of government.

Pate disclosed that all state governments had been informed of the outbreak, with most already having response plans developed with guidance from the NCDC. States yet to complete their plans had been directed to do so urgently.

He said the government had also provided additional resources to the NCDC to support containment activities, while mobilising further domestic resources to strengthen the country’s preparedness and response capacity.

The minister added that the federal government would continue engaging state commissioners of health and information to ensure consistency in public communication and coordination.

On Nigeria’s diagnostic capacity, Pate said health authorities had been able to diagnose and confirm the case, notify the World Health Organisation (WHO) and activate the response within 24 hours of being informed.

He said the government was working to sequence the virus’s genome to obtain further information about the infection, adding that Professor Christian Happi of Redeemer’s University had been invited to support the NCDC’s efforts.

“The capabilities are in country and the investments that have been made to get us here are bearing fruit,” he said.

Pate noted that the WHO, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and other international technical partners were supporting Nigeria’s response, including experts with experience in managing Ebola outbreaks in other countries.

He said traditional and religious leaders had also been engaged to promote public awareness and encourage Nigerians to follow verified health advice.

The minister stressed that Ebola was not an airborne disease, explaining that it spreads through contact with infected body fluids. He urged healthcare workers to observe infection prevention and control measures when attending to patients.

He advised Nigerians to practise regular handwashing, avoid contact with other people’s body fluids and promptly report symptoms such as fever, headaches and muscle aches, particularly where there was a relevant travel history.

Pate said federal hospitals and health facilities in the FCT had been directed to prepare isolation beds and strengthen infection prevention measures, while state governments were being encouraged to ensure similar preparedness in their facilities.

He also urged private healthcare providers to remain vigilant and promptly notify public health authorities of suspected cases, noting that the confirmed patient had visited a private facility.

On planned conferences and other large public gatherings, the minister said the government had not recommended changes to existing arrangements because the case remained contained.

“At this moment, there is no indication that requires us to alter the course of large gatherings that have been planned, but if the situation changes, we’ll make a determination,” he said.

Pate urged political leaders to avoid politicising the outbreak, describing health as a unifying issue that transcended political, religious and ethnic differences.

He also warned against the spread of misinformation, particularly on social media, saying unverified claims could undermine containment efforts by encouraging people under isolation or quarantine to disregard public health instructions.

“The alternative to trusting the expert is a tragedy,” he said, urging journalists and members of the public to rely on verified information from health authorities.

On border surveillance, Pate said the government was strengthening screening at the country’s points of entry in line with WHO guidance and the International Health Regulations.

He disclosed that additional capacity had been requested for port health operations, including ensuring that thermal imaging equipment was functional and that travellers were assessed according to the risk categorisation of affected countries.

The minister said the government would continue to monitor the situation and provide regular updates as investigations progressed, with the NCDC maintaining daily response meetings.

He called on Nigerians to cooperate with health authorities, particularly by complying with contact-tracing, isolation and quarantine instructions, to prevent further transmission of the virus.

END