Nigeria Centre for Disease Control NCDC)

About

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) is the national public health institute with the mandate to lead the preparedness, detection and response to infectious disease outbreaks and public health emergencies. The first formal step to establish the NCDC took place in 2011 when some departments in the Ministry of Health, including the Epidemiology Division, the Avian Influenza Project and its laboratories; and the Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (NFELTP) were moved to form the nucleus of the agency. The Bill for an Act to establish NCDC was signed into law in November 2018, by President Muhammadu Buhari. 

Core Functions

• Prevent, detect, and control diseases of public health importance.
• Coordinate surveillance systems to collect, analyse and interpret data on diseases of public health importance.
• Support states in responding to small outbreaks and lead the response to large disease outbreaks.
• Develop and maintain a network of reference and specialised laboratories.
• Conduct, collate, synthesise, and disseminate public health research to inform policy.
• Lead Nigeria’s engagement with the international community on diseases of public health relevance

Organisation of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention

The NCDC under the leadership of the Director General has a staff size of over 500. At the national level, this comprises staff working across three sites – the Headquarters and National Reference Laboratory (NRL), located in Abuja as well as the Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL) in Lagos State, a campus of the NRL. At the subnational level, there are State Surveillance Officers across the 36 States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The NCDC currently operates through seven departments. These include:

• Public Health Laboratory Services
• Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
• Prevention Programmes and Knowledge Management
• Surveillance and Epidemiology
• Administration and Human Resources
• Finance and Accounts
• Subnational Support Department

Leadership

Professor Ifedayo M. O Adetifa

Director General NCDC

Regions

• Jabi

Location