By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Nigeria may have so far avoided the emerging global Hantavirus outbreak, but Connected Development (CODE) has warned that the country’s weak epidemic preparedness systems could leave it dangerously exposed if the virus is introduced.
In a statement issued by Hyeladzira Mshelia, Acting Chief Executive of CODE, the organisation said the current absence of confirmed cases in Nigeria should not be interpreted as proof of a resilient or effective public health response framework.
The caution comes after the World Health Organization confirmed eight Hantavirus infections, including three fatalities, traced to passengers on board the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius. The cases, linked to the Andes virus strain with limited human-to-human transmission, have triggered heightened surveillance and contact-tracing efforts across Europe, North America, and parts of Asia.
Although the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) maintains that no infections have been recorded locally, CODE argued that Nigeria’s apparent safety may be more coincidental than the result of strong preventive systems.
The group highlighted persistent weaknesses in Port Health Services, including inadequate staffing at entry points and insufficient quarantine infrastructure at international airports and seaports. It noted that similar gaps were widely reported during the COVID-19 pandemic and have not been fully addressed.
CODE further referenced Nigeria’s comparatively lower COVID-19 testing capacity—about 1.78 million tests by mid-2021—when compared with South Africa’s 3.2 million tests, despite population differences, describing it as evidence of ongoing surveillance limitations.
Through its COVID-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP), the organisation said it monitored over ₦99 billion and additional donor funds raised during the pandemic, expressing concern that accountability and oversight mechanisms around those resources remain inadequate.
It also cited a National Bureau of Statistics survey conducted in July 2020, which showed that only 12.5 percent of the poorest Nigerians received any form of pandemic-related support, while civil society organisations repeatedly criticised the transparency of COVID-19 fund management.
CODE raised further concerns about the ongoing ₦32.9 billion allocation under the revised Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF 2.0), particularly resources designated for epidemic preparedness via the NCDC channel, noting that public access to spending details remains limited despite recent governance reforms introduced in October 2025.
Findings from its Project Track BHCPF initiative (#HealthShield), according to the organisation, indicate that bureaucratic delays, limited stakeholder awareness, and weak inter-agency coordination continue to slow access to emergency health financing at the state level.
The group warned that such systemic bottlenecks could severely undermine Nigeria’s response capacity in the event of a fast-spreading outbreak where speed is critical.
It therefore called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, NCDC, Nigerian Ports Authority, Ministry of Aviation, and other relevant agencies to urgently conduct and publish transparent audits of quarantine and disease surveillance systems at all points of entry.
CODE also demanded that all epidemic preparedness funds under the BHCPF framework be made publicly traceable and linked to clear, measurable outcomes at frontline health facilities.
The organisation urged stronger, sustained collaboration among the NCDC, immigration authorities, port health services, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, insisting that coordination should be institutionalised rather than activated only during emergencies.
It further recommended that frontline personnel at airports and seaports be properly equipped, while nationwide public awareness campaigns on Hantavirus should be launched immediately to prevent misinformation and panic.
“Nigeria has a window of opportunity,” the statement concluded. “It must act now before it closes.”
