The United States of America and Nigeria have signed a five-year bilateral health Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen Nigeria’s health system, with a strong focus on expanding faith-based healthcare delivery.
The agreement, signed by the U.S. Department of State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, provides for a combined investment of nearly $5.1 billion over the life of the MoU.
Of this amount, the U.S. plans to commit almost $2.1 billion, while Nigeria will increase its domestic health spending by about $3 billion, the largest co-investment recorded so far under the America First Global Health Strategy.
The U.S. Principal Deputy Spokesperson, Thomas Pigott, disclosed this in a statement weekend.
According to him, the funding would be directed at expanding essential preventive and curative services, including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, and polio interventions.
Also, significant component of the MoU is dedicated to strengthening Christian faith-based healthcare providers across Nigeria.
The agreement was negotiated alongside reforms by the Nigerian government to prioritise the protection of Christian populations from violence, with targeted funding to support faith-based clinics and hospitals.
Nigeria has about 900 faith-based health facilities, which collectively serve more than 30 per cent of the population.
The U.S. government noted that investments in these facilities would complement services provided by publicly run hospitals and clinics, while contributing to the overall resilience of the country’s health infrastructure.
The statement added that, in line with U.S. foreign assistance policy, the President and the Secretary of State retain the authority to pause or terminate programmes that do not align with U.S. national interests.
It said the Trump administration expects Nigeria to continue making progress in combating extremist religious violence, particularly against vulnerable Christian communities.
The U.S. Department of State added that it plans to conclude similar multi-year bilateral health cooperation MoUs with dozens of countries receiving U.S. health assistance in the coming weeks, as part of efforts to advance the America First Global Health Strategy. The agreement marks one of the most significant health-sector partnerships between Nigeria and the U.S.
In recent years, this comes amid a renewed international focus on faith-based institutions as key players in healthcare delivery in developing countries.
