The United States has signed a five-year bilateral health memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nigeria to develop the country’s health system, with a particular emphasis on assisting Christian faith-based healthcare providers.
According to a statement from the US Department of State, the agreement was signed on Tuesday and is expected to increase access to essential preventive and curative services such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, and polio interventions.
According to the MoU, the US government plans to contribute approximately $2.1 billion over five years.
“Additionally, Nigeria will increase its domestic health expenditures by nearly $3 billion during the term of the MoU, the largest co-investment any country has made to date under the America First Global Health Strategy,” the statement reads.
The agreement focusses on faith-based health institutions, particularly Christian-run clinics, which play an important role in Nigerian healthcare delivery.
According to the statement, “Nigeria’s 900 faith-based clinics and hospitals currently serve more than 30% of Nigerians,” with investments in these facilities “uniquely positioned to complement efforts in public-run facilities and strengthen Nigeria’s overall health infrastructure.”
The MoU was negotiated as part of the Nigerian government’s reform efforts to safeguard Christian communities from violence.
The statement also tied continuing US help to Nigeria’s efforts in combating religious-motivated violence.
At the same time, the US government said the agreement remains subject to its broader foreign policy priorities.
“The Trump Administration expects Nigeria to continue to make progress ensuring that it combats extremist religious violence against vulnerable Christian populations,” the statement reads.
“As with all foreign assistance, the President and Secretary of State retain the right to pause or terminate any programs which do not align with the national interest.
“The United States remains committed to signing multi-year bilateral MOUs on global health cooperation in the coming weeks with dozens of countries receiving U.S. health assistance.”
