The United States has signed a five-year health cooperation agreement with Nigeria, committing billions of dollars to strengthen the country’s healthcare system, with a particular focus on Christian faith-based medical providers, Washington announced on Saturday.
According to a spokesperson for the US State Department, the agreement will see the United States contribute nearly $2.1 billion to support programmes addressing HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, polio, as well as initiatives aimed at improving maternal and child health across Nigeria.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is expected to complement the effort by increasing its national health spending by almost $3 billion over the same five-year period.
The State Department said the deal places “strong emphasis on promoting Christian faith-based health care providers”, a move that comes amid growing concern in Washington over the security and welfare of Christian communities in Nigeria.
Last month, US President Donald Trump said his administration was prepared to take military action in Nigeria in response to attacks on Christians, remarks that attracted global attention.
Trump has repeatedly warned that Christianity faces what he described as an “existential threat” in Nigeria and other countries, framing the issue as part of broader concerns about the global persecution of Christians.
The Trump administration recently returned Nigeria to the US list of countries of “particular concern” over religious freedom and imposed additional restrictions on visa issuance to Nigerian nationals.
According to the State Department, the health agreement was negotiated alongside reforms by the Nigerian government aimed at prioritising the protection of Christian communities from violence.
Nigeria is roughly divided between a predominantly Christian south and a largely Muslim north. Authorities in Abuja have consistently maintained that insecurity in the country is driven by broader factors such as terrorism and banditry, rather than religious persecution.
Security Challenges Persist
Nigeria has faced a jihadist insurgency since 2009, particularly in the northeast, where violence linked to armed groups has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced about two million others, according to United Nations figures. Victims of the conflict include both Christians and Muslims.
The Nigeria deal follows a $2.5 billion health assistance agreement signed earlier this month between the United States and Kenya, marking one of the first major bilateral health deals since the Trump administration dismantled the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Since returning to office, Trump has shut down USAID and ordered a comprehensive overhaul of US foreign aid under his “America First” policy, shifting assistance toward direct bilateral agreements aligned with US strategic and political priorities.