The United States (US) has signed a five-year, $5.1 billion bilateral health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The MoU was signed on December 19 to advance the America First Global Health Strategy, supporting resilient, self-reliant, and durable health systems while promoting accountability and shared responsibility.
The MoU places a strong emphasis on Christian faith-based healthcare providers, recognizing their indispensable role in delivering care to communities in need. Nigeria’s more than 900 faith-based clinics and hospitals serve over 30 percent of the country’s 230 million people, often in areas where healthcare facilities are limited or absent. The MoU provides approximately $200 million in dedicated support to strengthen these Christian facilities, enhance workforce capacity, and expand access to integrated HIV, TB, malaria, and maternal and child health services. Investments in Christian faith-based health institutions are uniquely positioned to complement public-sector facilities and reinforce Nigeria’s overall health infrastructure.
Under the five-year agreement, the US intends to commit nearly $2.1 billion in health assistance, alongside nearly $3.0 billion in new domestic health expenditures by the Government of Nigeria over the same period.
This development represents the largest co-investment any country has made to date under the America First Global Health Strategy and underscores Nigeria’s commitment to greater national ownership of its health system, according to the US Mission in Nigeria.
Under the MoU, the US will continue to support surveillance and outbreak response, laboratory systems, health commodities, frontline healthcare workers, and data systems.
This comes as Nigeria continues to face significant health challenges, including one of the highest maternal and child mortality rates globally and approximately 30 percent of the global malaria burden.
US assistance under the MoU will expand access to affordable preventive and curative services for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, polio, and maternal and child health, strengthening health outcomes across Nigeria.
It is understood that the MoU was negotiated in connection with reforms undertaken by the Government of Nigeria to prioritize the protection of Christian populations from extremist violence.
