FEC Approves $45.8m Biosecurity Upgrade At Five International Airports

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a $45.8 million biosecurity and response system for five of Nigeria’s major international airports to strengthen the country’s capacity to detect and respond to infectious disease threats.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this while briefing journalists after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House.

He said the project, which has been in preparation for two years, would be executed through a 20-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the Bio Health Consortium and its partners.

According to Pate, the initiative is designed to address public health vulnerabilities at Nigeria’s borders, through which more than 18 million international passengers travel annually.

The project will cover the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu and Port Harcourt International Airport in Omagwa.

“Since COVID, we have known that there are significant vulnerabilities in terms of public health threats crossing borders, and the need for coordinated, technology-driven systems for early warning, detection, and response to infectious disease threats,” Pate said.

He explained that the project would operate under a Design, Finance, Build, Operate and Transfer (DFBOT) framework, with the private partner responsible for financing, building, operating and maintaining the infrastructure throughout the 20-year concession period.

The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) will provide regulatory supervision, while ownership of the facilities will revert to the Federal Government at the end of the concession.

Pate said the project would include smart point-of-entry infrastructure and portable laboratory facilities for rapid testing, as well as data-sharing systems linking key agencies.

These include the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Port Health Services, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

The minister also highlighted the importance of stronger border surveillance in the face of public health threats, citing Nigeria’s response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

He said Nigeria had maintained heightened surveillance at its points of entry before confirming a case on October 19, adding that the patient had since recovered under the country’s healthcare system, while contact-tracing efforts remained ongoing.

Pate also explained the rationale behind the proposed ₦100,000 payment to people placed in quarantine, saying it was intended to cater for their welfare during the period.