Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu's administration to make public the full details of Nigeria's $5.1 billion health agreement with the United States. This demand comes after Ghanaian President John Mahama disclosed that his government rejected a proposed US health compact due to concerns over medical records, pathogen information, counterpart funding, and the powers of the country's Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
Nigeria and the United States signed the five-year bilateral health Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on December 19, 2025. Under the agreement, the United States is expected to provide nearly $2.1 billion in health assistance, while Nigeria is expected to increase domestic health spending by about $3 billion during the same period. The combined commitment has been described by the Nigerian government as a $5.1 billion health cooperation agreement. The agreement covers disease surveillance, outbreak response, laboratory systems, pathogen sample collection and handling, health data systems, essential health commodities, and support for frontline healthcare workers.
The Federal Ministry of Health said the agreement aims to gradually reduce dependence on external assistance and strengthen Nigeria's health system. Nigeria also committed to allocating at least six per cent of executed annual federal and state budgets to health under the arrangement. However, Atiku Abubakar questioned whether provisions similar to those rejected by Ghana are contained in the agreement signed by the Nigerian government. He demanded that the government publish the full text of the agreement, citing concerns over the country's healthcare system and financial obligations.
Atiku Abubakar raised concerns over maternal mortality in Nigeria, citing estimates that put Nigeria's maternal deaths at about 75,000 in 2023. He questioned how Nigeria would meet its domestic financial obligations under the agreement, referring to comments attributed to Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate during a budget defence, where only N36 million had reportedly been released from the N218 billion appropriated for capital projects and programmes at the Ministry of Health headquarters in 2025.
The demand for transparency in the Nigeria-US health agreement comes amid controversy over Ghana's decision to reject a similar US health arrangement. Ghanaian President John Mahama disclosed that the proposed compact required Ghana to provide the United States with its pathogen profile and medical records, and that the country would have been required to provide counterpart funding. Mahama said the concerns led Ghana's Cabinet to reject the proposal, describing it as a rapid decision.
Atiku Abubakar's demand for transparency also extends to other agreements between Nigeria and the US, including a mining framework. His media aide, Paul Ibe, has challenged the Federal Government to disclose the full details of the agreement, clarifying that the $700 billion figure being associated with the agreement is not the amount of investment being provided by the United States, but the estimated value of Nigeria's mineral resources.
The ADC presidential candidate emphasized that Nigerians need to see the funding and care, adding that a signed partnership cannot staff a maternity ward, supply a hospital, or save a woman in labour. Atiku Abubakar's call for transparency in the health agreement has sparked renewed attention on Nigeria's healthcare system and its financial obligations under the agreement.
Key points
- Atiku Abubakar demands Nigerian government disclose details of $5.1 billion health agreement with US
- Ghana rejected a similar US health arrangement due to concerns over medical records and pathogen information
- Nigeria committed to allocating at least six per cent of executed annual federal and state budgets to health under the US agreement
