{
  "id": 9901510,
  "title": "N10bn Ebola fund: What has it paid for ?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/n10bn-ebola-fund-what-has-it-paid-for",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-26T03:19:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Trust",
    "slug": "daily-trust",
    "url": "https://dailytrust.com/n10bn-ebola-fund-what-has-it-paid-for/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In June, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu allocated N10 billion to bolster Nigeria's Ebola readiness, alongside a separate N21.2 million allocation per state under the State Outbreak Investigation and Response Fund. However, three months later, there is no public record detailing how the N10 billion has been utilized. Evidence from Weekend Trust's investigation at airports and isolation centers suggests that the intended improvements in preparedness remain lacking.\n\nHabebat Ajayi, attempting to enter Nigeria, faced issues completing the mandatory health declaration form on her smartphone due to network problems. Upon arrival, she was not required to present or verify the information she had submitted through the app. Similarly, Ibrahim Shehu reported that after completing the declaration through the Port Health portal, he was not subjected to a temperature check or verification of the QR code he received.\n\nPhillip Clement's experience mirrored this pattern, as his attempt to complete the form via a QR code at Addis Ababa International Airport was thwarted by network issues. Despite his completion of the form and receipt of a confirmation email, he was not subject to a temperature check upon arrival at Abuja airport. Fatima Damagum's journey also followed this protocol, with her health declaration form being processed after her flight took off. Upon landing, she was asked to present her QR code, but it was not scanned or verified, and temperature checks were absent.\n\nThese accounts collectively highlight a glaring inconsistency: while Nigeria's healthcare officials are required to complete the digital health declaration forms, they do not appear to verify the provided information or conduct thorough screening measures, such as temperature checks, upon arrival. The absence of clear accountability or follow-through raises significant concerns about the true purpose and efficacy of the N10 billion emergency fund intended to strengthen Nigeria's Ebola preparedness.",
  "summary": "In June, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved N10 billion in emergency intervention funding to strengthen Nigeria’s Ebola preparedness, alongside a separate N21.2 million per-state disbursement under the State Outbreak Investigation and Response Fund. Three months on, there is no public breakdown of how the N10 billion has been spent, and Weekend Trust’s checks at airports […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}