One hundred Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) staff have completed a Basic Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) training programme - capacity that is critical to strengthening operational readiness for future emergencies at all levels. Delivered in two cohorts between December 2025 and January 2026, NCDC led the design and delivery of the training, with support from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) through the IHR Strengthening Project (IHR-SP).

Nigeria faces a wide range of public health threats - from infectious disease outbreaks to environmental and chemical hazards. Managing these emergencies effectively requires a workforce that understands how preparedness, coordination and response systems operate across national and subnational levels.

This training programme sits within a broader effort by NCDC to build its workforce and strengthen emergency preparedness across the organisation. Expanding foundational PHEM capacity was identified as a priority following Nigeria’s Joint External Evaluation (2023) and the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS 2.0) and addressing it is central to meeting Nigeria’s commitments under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). The training aimed to increase the number of NCDC staff equipped with core emergency management skills, building the broad, organisation-wide capability that effective emergency response depends on.

The training used a participatory learning approach, combining technical presentations, case studies, group discussions and simulation exercises. Participants developed a practical understanding of the phases of emergency management - preparedness, detection, response and recovery – with a strong focus on how the Incident Management System (IMS) operates within Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs). Participants were drawn from across NCDC, including Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (HEPR), Surveillance, Laboratory Services, administration & finance, helping to foster a shared understanding of emergency coordination mechanisms across the organisation.

End-of-training evaluations indicated strong satisfaction with one participant noting, “the training strengthened our understanding of how the incident management system supports coordinated decision-making during emergency response”. Another highlighted the importance of continued learning and practical application: “training such as this provides a strong foundation for understanding public health emergency management. Continued capacity building and opportunities to apply these principles during real response activities will further strengthen emergency preparedness and coordination”.

With 100 staff now equipped with foundational PHEM knowledge, NCDC is better placed to detect, coordinate and respond to public health emergencies, strengthening both Nigeria's emergency preparedness workforce and its contribution to global health security. Building on this momentum, the next phase will focus on training additional staff and introducing intermediate-level PHEM workshops. This will further deepen technical capacity and ensure a responsive workforce capable of managing public health emergencies.