The United States has committed roughly $200 million to support more than 900 Christian faith-based healthcare centers in Nigeria as part of a new $5.1 billion five-year agreement aimed at enhancing public health amid pressing challenges like high mortality rates and disease burdens.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed with the Nigerian government, aligns with Washington’s America First Global Health Strategy and prioritizes aid to facilities that play a outsized role in serving remote populations.
According to a US Mission statement, Christian clinics constitute about 10 percent of Nigeria’s healthcare providers but cater to over 30 percent of its 230 million citizens, often in hard-to-reach zones.
The dedicated funding will focus on expanding services for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and maternal and child health.
“Nigeria facing one of the highest maternal and child mortality rates globally and accounting for 30% of the global malaria burden, this U.S. assistance protects Nigerian and American lives while strengthening our bilateral partnership,” the statement read.
Under the broader accord, the US plans to contribute $2.1 billion, while Nigeria pledges $3 billion in fresh domestic health expenditures over the period — the largest such co-investment under the strategy to date.
“This five-year MOU will strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system, save lives, and make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” the US Mission added.
The initiative emerges against a backdrop of US concerns over the treatment of Christians in Nigeria, including allegations of targeted violence that have sparked international debate in recent months.
