Atiku Urges Tinubu To Publish Details Of $5bn Nigeria-US Health Deal

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called on the Federal Government to publish the full details of Nigeria’s recent $5 billion health deal with the United States.

The demand follows reports that Ghana rejected a similar health agreement with the U.S. over sovereignty concerns related to health data, medical records, pathogen samples, counterpart funding obligations, and national regulatory oversight.

Atiku Urges Transparency Over $5bn Nigeria-US Health Deal

Atiku Abubakar has challenged the administration of President Bola Tinubu to make public the full text and all related protocols of the $5 billion, five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the United States in December 2025.

Atiku’s call comes after former Ghanaian President John Mahama revealed that Ghana’s Ministry of Health and Cabinet rejected a similar proposed U.S. health compact. Ghanaian officials flagged provisions that required sharing national pathogen profiles and patient medical records, committing counterpart funds, and ceding regulatory authority away from the country’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).

In a statement issued by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku raised concerns over whether Nigeria agreed to similar terms.

“At this point, Nigerians do not know whether the provisions Ghana rejected are in the agreement Tinubu signed. That is precisely why the government must publish the full text. Nigerians should not have to guess what has been agreed in their name,” Atiku stated.

Key Concerns Raised by Atiku:

• Data & Sample Protection: Whether Nigerian citizens’ medical data or pathogen samples will leave the country, who gets access to them, and what patient safeguards exist.

• Regulatory Oversight: Whether the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) retains full authority to inspect imported medicines and medical supplies.

• Funding Commitments: Under the deal, the U.S. is expected to provide nearly $2 billion in grants, while Nigeria is projected to mobilize nearly $3 billion in health spending over five years. Atiku questioned how the government plans to meet this funding pledge, citing recent budget disclosures by Health Minister Ali Pate showing that only ₦36 million out of ₦218 billion appropriated for capital projects at the ministry headquarters had been released in 2025.

Highlighting Nigeria’s severe health challenges—including an estimated 75,000 maternal deaths in 2023 alone Atiku stressed that signed partnerships must yield real, transparent results rather than unfulfilled fiscal promises.

He urged the administration to release all annexes, specimen-sharing agreements, and financial protocols, emphasizing that “Nigeria’s sovereignty is not classified information.”