Atiku Abubakar Demands Publication of Nigeria-US Health Deal
Atiku Abubakar is demanding the Nigerian government release the full text of a health agreement with the United States following Ghana's rejection of a similar compact.
Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar is demanding the immediate publication of a five-year health Memorandum of Understanding signed between Nigeria and the United States on December 19, 2025. The demand follows disclosures by Ghanaian President John Mahama that Ghana rejected a similar US health compact due to concerns over pathogen information, medical records, funding obligations, and the inspection of imported medicines.
The Nigeria-US agreement includes nearly $2 billion in US grants and a Nigerian commitment to mobilize nearly $3 billion in domestic health spending over five years. Abubakar questioned the government's ability to honor these financial commitments, citing reports from Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate that only ₦36 million of a ₦218 billion appropriation for 2025 capital projects had been released.
Abubakar raised specific concerns regarding national sovereignty, data privacy, and whether the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control retains the authority to inspect medical products. He linked the lack of transparency to Nigeria's high maternal mortality rate, which reached 75,000 deaths in 2023. Additionally, Abubakar questioned a separate $700 million minerals deal between the US and Nigeria, though Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Jumoke Oduwole dismissed claims of secrecy regarding that agreement.
