“US Pledges $2.1bn to Boost Nigeria’s Christian Health Clinics in Historic Five-Year Deal”
By Passman Akpos
Washington, D.C. / Abuja – In a landmark move aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s health system, the United States has signed a five-year bilateral health agreement with Nigeria, committing nearly $2.1 billion in funding to support prevention and treatment programmes for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, and polio.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), announced on Saturday by Thomas Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State, also includes a pledge from Nigeria to increase its domestic health spending by nearly $3 billion over the duration of the agreement. According to the State Department, this represents “the largest co-investment any country has made to date under the America First Global Health Strategy.”
The MOU places a strong emphasis on expanding faith-based healthcare services, particularly Christian healthcare facilities, which currently number about 900 in Nigeria and serve more than 30 percent of the population. These facilities will receive dedicated funding to provide integrated services targeting infectious diseases as well as maternal and child health.
“The MOU was negotiated in connection with reforms the Nigerian government has made to prioritise protecting Christian populations from violence and includes significant dedicated funding to support Christian healthcare facilities with a focus on expanding access to integrated HIV, TB, malaria, and maternal and child health services,” the statement said.
US officials noted that investment in faith-based facilities is designed to complement public healthcare services, enhance national health infrastructure, and expand access to essential healthcare across the country.
“The 900 faith-based clinics and hospitals currently serve more than 30 percent of Nigerians, and investments in these facilities are uniquely positioned to complement efforts in public-run facilities and strengthen Nigeria’s overall health infrastructure,” the statement added.
The agreement comes amid increased US scrutiny of Nigeria, including recent travel restrictions citing national security concerns and visa overstay issues. The State Department emphasised that all US assistance under the MOU remains subject to review, noting that “the President and Secretary of State retain the right to pause or terminate any programs which do not align with the national interest.”
The five-year agreement falls under the America First Global Health Strategy, released in September 2025, which seeks to shift US global health policy toward bilateral agreements, increased partner-country co-investment, and enhanced efforts to combat HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and other priority diseases while strengthening national health systems.
If you want, I can also create a more sensational, punchy version for a newspaper headline that emphasizes the faith-based angle and the massive US funding—it would read like a front-page scoop. Do you want me to do that next?
