Oluwafunbi Bello ABUJA, Nigeria – The United States signs a five-year bilateral health agreement with Nigeria, committing nearly $5 billion in combined funding to strengthen the country’s health system and expand faith-based healthcare services.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the United States plans to provide almost $2.1 billion in funding, while Nigeria commits to increasing its domestic health spending by nearly $3 billion over the life of the agreement.
The US Department of State announced the deal on Saturday, describing Nigeria’s contribution as the largest co-investment made by any partner country under the America First Global Health Strategy. “Today, the United States Department of State signed a five-year bilateral health Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Republic of Nigeria to strengthen Nigeria’s health system,” Principal Deputy Spokesperson Thomas Pigott says.
He adds that the agreement places a strong emphasis on supporting Christian faith-based healthcare providers and expanding access to integrated services for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, and polio.
According to the State Department, the MoU is linked to recent Nigerian government reforms aimed at protecting Christian communities from violence. As part of the arrangement, dedicated funding is allocated to Christian-owned clinics and hospitals, particularly those delivering frontline infectious disease and maternal health services.
Nigeria currently has about 900 faith-based health facilities serving more than 30 per cent of the population, US officials say. “Investments in these facilities are uniquely positioned to complement public-run healthcare services and strengthen Nigeria’s overall health infrastructure,” the department notes.
“As with all foreign assistance, the President and Secretary of State retain the right to pause or terminate programmes that do not align with US national interests,” the statement says.
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