Pushback Grows Over Nigeria–US $5bn Pro-Christian Health Deal

A five-year health cooperation agreement signed between Nigeria and the United States has sparked intense controversy across the country, as Muslim groups and other stakeholders push back against what they describe as a pro-Christian, discriminatory and divisive arrangement that could deepen Nigeria’s fragile religious fault lines.

The agreement, announced by the US government at the weekend, is a bilateral health Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system, with a strong focus on Christian faith-based health institutions. Under the deal, the US plans to commit about $2.1 billion over five years, while Nigeria is expected to contribute nearly $3 billion, bringing the total value to over $5 billion.

According to the US Department of State, the MoU is designed to expand access to essential preventive and curative services, including interventions for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, and polio, while leveraging the role of faith-based organisations in healthcare delivery.

The agreement places special emphasis on Christian-run health facilities, with Washington noting that Nigeria’s estimated 900 faith-based clinics and hospitals currently serve more than 30 per cent of the population and are “uniquely positioned” to complement public healthcare services and strengthen the country’s overall health infrastructure.

However, the deal has attracted sharp criticism following comments by US President Donald Trump, who recently claimed that Christians face an “existential threat” in Nigeria and announced Nigeria’s return to the US list of countries of “particular concern” over alleged persecution of Christians, alongside new visa restrictions for Nigerians.

“We denounce this pact in the strongest terms. It is parochial, egregious, divisive, discriminatory and therefore unacceptable. It subjects Muslims to apartheid treatment in their own country and seeks to spend our collective wealth on one faith group alone,” the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) said in a statement.

“It is unfortunate for the Nigerian government to buy into this injustice being pushed by the United States against its own people. Nigeria should be mindful of America’s double standards and resist policies capable of undermining our unity and social cohesion,” the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN), Kaduna State chapter, added.

The federal government has, however, defended the agreement, with the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, insisting that the funding will be deployed inclusively and benefit all Nigerians, describing the deal as a major opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s health system and re-engage the United States on mutually respectful terms.