A Virologist and Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, Prof. Oyewale Tomori said yesterday that Nigeria would have been able to contain the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) with functional laboratories.

The absence of well-equipped laboratories, he said, hampers Nigerian scientists from finding cures for diseases, including the EVD outbreak which he described as a disaster.

He stated this during a public lecture on 'Taming the Vicious Ebola Disaster: How prepared is Africa,' organised by the Kwara State University.

Tomori, who is a World Health Organisation (WHO), consultant said the Ebola virus has become a disaster that must be tackled by all Nigerians. He said the disease if not contained, would destroy the foundation of the country's economy, social structure and orderly development as it is happening in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The WHO consultant said African countries could not find a solution to Ebola disease because of lack of functional laboratories, adding that they have now become "powerless, confused, disoriented and totally helpless resorting to international help."

Tomori said unless the continent changes its attitude of relying on foreign help to contain outbreak of diseases, it would continue to suffer from any disease.