FORMER Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Federal Government to publish Nigeria’s health agreement with the United States, following Ghana’s reported rejection of a proposed health compact with Washington.
News Point Nigeria reports that Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the demand in a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of his campaign council, questioning whether provisions Ghana raised concerns about are contained in Nigeria’s agreement.
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Nigeria and the United States signed a five-year technical Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on health cooperation on December 19, 2025. According to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the agreement covers disease surveillance, outbreak response, laboratory systems, biosafety procedures for pathogen sample collection and handling, health data systems, frontline healthcare workers and access to essential health commodities.
Under the agreement, the United States is expected to provide nearly $2 billion in grant funding over five years, while Nigeria has committed to allocating at least six per cent of executed annual Federal and State budgets to health, a commitment the Federal Government projects will mobilise nearly $3 billion in domestic health financing over the same period.
The development comes against the backdrop of Ghana’s position on a proposed US health compact, with President John Mahama raising concerns over issues including medical records, pathogen information, funding obligations and the inspection of imported medicines.
Atiku said Nigerians should be allowed to know whether provisions that Ghana reportedly rejected are contained in the agreement already signed by Nigeria.
“That is precisely why the government must publish the full text. Nigerians should not have to guess what has been agreed in their name,” he said.
The former vice-president also questioned whether the financial commitments under the agreement were realistic given the condition of healthcare delivery in Nigeria, particularly the country’s high maternal mortality rate.
“Every one of those deaths represents a woman whose family expected her to come home,” he said.
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“This crisis did not begin under Tinubu, but he has had more than three years to show Nigerians how his government is making childbirth safer. Where are the results?”
Atiku further questioned how the Federal Government would meet its domestic funding commitments under the agreement when already approved health projects had struggled to receive funding.
He cited comments by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, who told lawmakers during his budget defence that only N36 million had been released from the N218 billion appropriated for capital projects and programmes at the ministry’s headquarters in 2025 at the time.
“A government that cannot release funds for approved health projects must explain how it intends to honour a multibillion-dollar commitment,” Atiku said.
“A signed partnership cannot staff a maternity ward, supply a hospital or save a woman in labour. Nigerians need to see the funding and the care.”
Atiku therefore called on the Federal Government to publish the complete MoU, alongside all related protocols, annexes, data-sharing arrangements, specimen-sharing agreements and financial undertakings.
He said Nigeria welcomed international cooperation capable of improving healthcare delivery but insisted that the government must be accountable for the terms it accepts and the results it delivers.
“The same duty of disclosure applies to the administration’s other international commitments, including its expanding partnership with France,” he added.
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“Ghana examined the proposal before it and said no. Nigeria has already signed. Tinubu must now tell Nigerians exactly what he said yes to. Nigeria’s sovereignty is not classified information.”
The Federal Ministry of Health has described the Nigeria-US agreement as a landmark technical MoU aimed at strengthening health security, expanding primary healthcare and promoting greater self-reliance, while stating that external grant support will gradually reduce as Nigeria increases domestic health financing.
