Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has urged the Federal Government to publish the full text of Nigeria's recent health agreement with the United States. The agreement, a five-year health Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on December 19, 2025, covers critical areas including disease surveillance, health data systems, and procedures involving the handling of pathogen samples.
The demand for transparency comes after Ghana's government rejected a similar proposed pact with Washington over national security and sovereignty concerns. Ghanaian President John Mahama cited concerns regarding control of medical records, sharing of sensitive pathogen information, stringent funding obligations, and invasive inspection of imported medicines.
Atiku's call for transparency is driven by concerns that Nigerians have a fundamental right to know whether the exact provisions that alarmed Ghana are embedded in the agreement signed by President Bola Tinubu's administration. He insisted that Nigerians should not have to guess what has been agreed in their name, emphasizing that Nigeria's sovereignty is not classified information.
Beyond data privacy and sovereignty, Atiku questioned the financial obligations tied to the agreement against the grim reality of healthcare delivery in Nigeria. He highlighted the country's high maternal mortality rate and cast doubt on the Federal Government's ability to honor its multi-billion-dollar domestic funding commitments under the US agreement.
Atiku pointed to recent revelations by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, who informed lawmakers that only ₦36 million had been released from the ₦218 billion appropriated for capital projects at the ministry's headquarters in 2025. He challenged the government to explain how it intends to honour a multibillion-dollar commitment.
While acknowledging that Nigeria welcomes international cooperation aimed at improving healthcare delivery, Atiku maintained that the government must remain strictly accountable for the terms it accepts on behalf of its citizens. He demanded that the Federal Government publish the complete MoU, alongside all related protocols, annexes, data-sharing arrangements, specimen-sharing agreements, and financial undertakings.
Atiku also extended his call for absolute transparency to the administration's other international commitments, including its expanding partnership with France. The agreement between Nigeria and the US includes nearly $2 billion in grants from the US, while Nigeria has pledged health spending commitments projected to mobilize approximately $3 billion over a five-year period.
Key points
- Atiku Abubakar demands full disclosure of Nigeria-US health agreement
- Ghana's rejection of similar US health compact sparks domestic scrutiny
- Atiku questions financial commitments and healthcare realities in Nigeria
