Nigeria Invests N45bn in Biosecurity for Airports

The Federal Government has approved N45.08 billion for the establishment of a national biosecurity and disease surveillance system at five international airports. Health and Social Welfare Minister Ali Pate announced this on Wednesday following a Federal Executive Council meeting led by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The project, to be implemented through a 20-year public-private partnership with the BioHealth Consortium, aims to bolster Nigeria's defenses against infectious diseases entering through international borders. Pate highlighted the vulnerabilities exposed by COVID-19 and the necessity for coordinated technology-driven systems for early detection and response.

The five airports involved are Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, Port Harcourt International Airport, and Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu. The system will include pathogen detection infrastructure and a national surveillance operations center for real-time monitoring and response coordination.