Nigeria-US health deal under scrutiny – Daily Trust

A health settlement price $5bn between Nigeria and the United States has raised mud after Ghanaian President, John Dramani Mahama, revealed that his nation rejected an analogous deal over knowledge infringement issues.  

Findings by Daily Trust present that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) requires Nigeria to share knowledge on health outcomes and specimens on novel and rising infectious illnesses with the US authorities.

This is simply as medical consultants fault a piece of the specimen sharing settlement which requires the US to retain the usage of the already shared knowledge even when Nigeria terminates the settlement.

The US had signed a five-year MoU with Nigeria on December 19, 2025 “to advance the America First Global Health Strategy,” a framework that deploys world health diplomacy and overseas help to make America safer, stronger and extra affluent by means of bilateral agreements.

The deal includes about $2.1bn health help by the US and counter-funding of about $3bn by the Nigerian Government to increase entry to inexpensive, preventive and healing providers for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, polio and maternal and little one health.

The federal authorities had stated that under the MoU, each nations would work collectively to strengthen illness surveillance and outbreak response; enhance laboratory methods and biosafety procedures for pathogen pattern assortment, transport, testing, storage, and disposal; help frontline healthcare employees; strengthen knowledge methods; guarantee entry to important health commodities; and supply strategic funding and technical help throughout the health sector.

At the time of signing, the federal government didn’t present additional particulars on the settlement, which has sparked dialog following President Mahama’s remark.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on September 25, Mahama revealed that his authorities turned down the proposed settlement price over $100 million after the nation’s health ministry reviewed it and raised purple flags.

He stated the proposed health compact, which was meant to exchange some health funding beforehand offered by means of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), raised a number of issues.

He stated, “We received the health compact from the US to replace USAID funding, and Ghana is a sovereign nation and we have our processes as a democratic country. When the compact was received, the health ministry started examining it and did what we call Cabinet Information Paper. The compact was brought to cabinet, and we flagged several things in the compact.”

“One, it says that we will give the United States our pathogen profile. It means, what are illnesses which might be endemic in Ghana? What are the pathogen profile of our nation, whether or not it captures American customary?

“It also says we should give our medical records. I mean, who takes another country’s medical records? That was strange. And then, it says we will have to put a certain amount of money into healthcare as part of the programme. It also says that any medications or any medical products that shall be brought into our country, our Food and Drugs Administration has absolutely no right to inspect.”

Mahama stated the “humiliating” compact was thrown out in report time by the cupboard and the health minister was directed to tell the US ambassador that Ghana didn’t want it.

What US, Nigeria say about MoU

A press release by the US Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria stated the MoU goals to “advance the America First Global Health Strategy, supporting resilient, self-reliant, and durable health systems while promoting accountability and shared responsibility.”

The US will help surveillance and outbreak response, laboratory methods, health commodities; frontline healthcare employees and knowledge methods.

“Under the five-year MOU, the United States intends to commit nearly $2.1 billion in health assistance, with nearly $3.0 billion in new domestic health expenditures by the Government of Nigeria over the same five-year period,” it stated.

According to the assertion, the MoU locations a robust emphasis on Christian faith-based healthcare suppliers, recognising their indispensable position in delivering care to communities in want.

It acknowledged that Nigeria has greater than 900 faith-based clinics and hospitals that serve greater than 30 per cent of the nation’s 230 million individuals, particularly in areas the place healthcare amenities are restricted or absent, including that the settlement offers roughly $200 million in devoted help to strengthen and help the Christian amenities, improve workforce capability and increase entry to built-in HIV, TB, malaria and maternal little one health providers.

“Investments in Christian faith-based health institutions are uniquely positioned to complement public-sector facilities and reinforce Nigeria’s overall health infrastructure. The MoU was negotiated in connection with reforms undertaken by the Government of Nigeria to prioritize the protection of Christian populations from extremist violence,” it stated.

The assertion additional acknowledged that the President and Secretary of State have the fitting to pause or terminate programmes that don’t align with the US nationwide pursuits, noting that “the United States expects Nigeria to continue making measurable progress in combating religiously motivated violence against Christian communities.”

The declare that Christians are being focused in Nigeria has been debunked with knowledge even displaying that terrorists have killed extra Muslims than Christians.

The federal authorities described the deal as a landmark MoU to deepen bilateral health cooperation, strengthen health safety, and construct a extra resilient and self-reliant health system for Nigerians.

It stated the settlement would improve collaboration on the early detection, prevention, and management of rising, re-emerging, and current infectious illnesses, together with HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, whereas increasing entry to high quality major healthcare providers nationwide.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, stated the MoU alerts a serious step towards safeguarding the health of Nigerians whereas strengthening nationwide resilience.

“The MoU builds on Nigeria’s ongoing health sector reforms, including the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), launched in 2023 to improve healthcare accessibility, affordability, quality, accountability, and efficiency. The reforms are implemented through a Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) that aligns Federal, State, and Local Governments, development partners, civil society, and the private sector under a unified national plan, budget, and reporting framework,” the minister stated.

The health settlement

Under the settlement co-signed by the U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard M. Mills Jr. and Prof Pate, a replica of which Daily Trust sighted, Nigerian Government, amongst others, agreed to make use of digital medical report options, together with current Electronic Health Records (EHRs) or equal Optical Character Recognition applied sciences, as its EHRs and roll them out in 20% amenities by 2026, 40% amenities by 2027, 60% amenities by 2028, 80% amenities by 2029, and 100% amenities by 2030.

The authorities additionally “plans to implement financial penalties or rewards or other non-financial incentives for healthcare providers to ensure greater than 50% of encounters are loaded in the EHR within 1 year of rollout in a facility and 90% of encounters are loaded in the EHR within two years of rollout in a facility.”

By 2030, it’s anticipated that there can be 15-20% discount in maternal mortality in focused LGAs, that 95% of individuals dwelling with HIV know their standing, that 95% are on therapy and 95% of these on therapy obtain viral suppression.

The MoU additionally tasks 95% discount in tuberculosis deaths, outstanding discount in malaria prevalence and deaths, zero Polio circumstances by 2030 and improve in Nigerians lined by health insurance coverage.

For surveillance and outbreak response funding, the US will present $20,855,000, whereas Nigeria offers $238,050,759 and for lab commodities, the US will provide $214,468,458 as in opposition to Nigeria’s $184,180,620.

The US will present help for commodities to the tune of $442,142,452 whereas Nigeria offers $511,809,132; the US will present $196m to fund knowledge methods, whereas Nigeria offers counter-funding of $119,025,379 and for strategic funding and technical help funding, the US will present $1,023,176,417 whereas Nigeria will present $1,600,891,351.

The US will fund a complete of 4,843 frontline lab employees between 2026 and 2029 whereas Nigeria funds the identical quantity between 2027 and 2030. While the US will fund 64,240 frontline healthcare employees between 2026 and 2029, Nigeria will fund 57,816 between 2028 and 2030.

Concerns over specimen sharing settlement

A essential a part of the MoU is specimen sharing pact signed by the 2 nations on behalf of their representatives: Mills and Prof Pate.

Article 1 of the specimen sharing settlement states that “The purpose of this Agreement is to promote global health security through the facilitation of the rapid sharing of specimens, samples, sequencing data, and any other associated data related to novel and emerging infectious diseases with epidemic or pandemic potential (“specimen and related data”) between the U.S. Government and the Federal Republic of Nigeria for respectable public health functions, together with responding to outbreaks and the event of diagnostics and medical countermeasures.”

Article 2 (a) states that upon a request by the U.S. Government, Nigeria will “initiate sharing specimen(s) and related data with the U.S. Government within five days of Nigeria receiving such a request from the U.S. Government or on an alternative timeline as mutually agreed to between the U.S. Government and The Federal Republic of Nigeria, on a case-by-case basis. If requested by the U.S. Government, The Federal Republic of Nigeria may provide sequencing data via sharing on a public database instead of or in addition to directly sharing specimens and related data with the U.S. Government.”

Article 2 (b) states that “Nigeria consents to the U.S. Government sharing the specimen and related data for the purpose of developing diagnostics and medical countermeasures with non-U.S. Government U.S. entities (“U.S. Recipients”), every of whom should have the aptitude to help in creating diagnostics and/or medical countermeasures. The U.S. Government will present the Federal Government of Nigeria written discover when a specimen is shared with a U.S. entity.”

Article 3 notes that if a medical countermeasure is developed primarily from specimen, topic to the provision of funds and relevant legislation, the US shall prioritise Nigeria in making certain entry to such medical options.

The U.S. Government additionally pledges to explicitly acknowledge contribution of Nigeria and its related establishments in publications, displays, and stories arising from the usage of the specimen and associated knowledge.

The settlement states that analyses, discoveries, improvements, or different outputs ensuing from the usage of specimens or associated knowledge offered by Nigeria could generate vital public health worth and the U.S. intends to share related related findings which will help public health aims and capabilities with  Nigeria.

Article 4 (b) emsphasises that as long as the U.S. Government offers any funding under the MOU, it has “a significant and material interest in ensuring that the Federal Government of Nigeria fulfills the commitments for specimen and related data sharing set out in this Agreement and that failure by either party to fulfill these commitments could result in changes in U.S . Government planned assistance contemplated under the MOU the discontinuation of the MOU, or the termination of this Agreement by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government shall enter into good faith consultations with the Federal Government of Nigeria before taking any action under this subparagraph.”

Article 5 specifies that the specimen sharing settlement shall be efficient 30 days after signature by each events and shall stay in pressure for 5 years, renewable for an additional 5 years by mutual settlement.

It additional states that “In the event the Federal Republic of Nigeria terminates this agreement, termination shall NOT affect the use by the U.S. Government of any specimens and related data previously shared under this Agreement.”

The doc notes that the switch, use, administration and management of specimens and associated knowledge shared under the settlement “will be carried out consistently with the relevant applicable domestic laws, including protection of human subjects, relevant biosafety/biosecurity laws and regulations, and internationally recognized standards of specimen handling.”

It concludes that the deal neither “precludes new agreements nor negates or replaces current agreements for sharing specimen and associated knowledge between the U.S. Government and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’’

Former Vice-President and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, known as on the federal authorities to instantly publish the complete textual content of the health settlement.

Atiku, in a press release by the Director of Strategic Communication of his marketing campaign council, Phrank Shaibu, insisted that Nigerians have a basic proper to know whether or not the precise provisions that alarmed Ghana are embedded within the settlement signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

Atiku additionally solid doubt on the federal authorities’s capacity to honour its multi-billion-dollar home funding commitments under the settlement, pointing to latest revelations by Prof Pate, who knowledgeable lawmakers that solely a meager N36 million had been launched from the N218 billion appropriated for capital tasks on the ministry’s headquarters in 2025.

“A government that cannot release funds for approved health projects must explain how it intends to honour a multibillion-dollar commitment,” Atiku stated.

Attempts to get the response of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare have been unsuccessful as calls to its Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Ado Bako, went unanswered.

A WhatsApp message despatched to him in search of clarification was additionally not answered as of the time of submitting this report.

In an interview with Daily Trust, a former President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Professor Innocent Ujah, maintained that it’s regular for the US to request knowledge from Nigeria on health outcomes under the MoU.

“Health outcome is the eventual outcome of the treatment and the follow-up including the laboratory findings, clinical findings and the rest. Data sharing is a research focus. I’m not privy to the MoU they signed, so it will be difficult for me to make a conclusion, but sharing data is no problem at all. At the moment, we are sharing data with Havard and other universities,” he stated.

But Prof Ujah, who was Director of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, questioned the specimen sharing settlement.

“If the agreement is terminated, every other thing regarding that process should stop and no further action. Whatever is done with the data after the termination can be injurious to the country,” he added.

Dr Rotimi Adesanya, Director, Medical Services Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos, corroborated Prof Ujah, saying, “They say there is no free meal in Freetown. So even if they want to use the data for anything, they are backed by the fact that they are sponsoring the programme. When they give a fund like that to support health programmes, normally they need figures.”

“They want figures to corroborate what they’re doing to make certain that what they’re doing is correct. There is not any donor company that gives you funds with out asking for the stories.

“So the data they are asking for is like the reports of how the money was spent, the number of people that have a particular ailment such as HIV, the number of people that are taking drugs, the number of people that don’t have access to drugs etc. So there is nothing unethical about it. They need to get the health outcomes,” he added.

However, Adesanya, a fellow of Academy of Public Health, faulted the clause that enables the US to proceed utilizing “specimens and related data,” even after termination of settlement.

“The truth is that it is one-sided. The benefit is supposed to be mutual. That is why countries should be careful before they sign any agreement. Countries should not rush to sign any agreement. They should ensure that every expert involved is carried along at every stage,” he added.

Nigerians’ health knowledge in danger – Expert

Dr Olumide Babalola, privateness and knowledge safety knowledgeable and founding father of the Data Privacy Lawyers Association of Nigeria (DPLAN), stated the proposed knowledge integration would imply that giant volumes of delicate health info could possibly be repeatedly collected, linked, saved and shared past durations of public-health emergencies.

He stated although such methods might strengthen the detection, surveillance and administration of public-health threats, he warned that their everlasting nature raised vital knowledge safety issues.

“From a privateness perspective, whereas the combination can doubtlessly enhance the early detection, surveillance and administration of public-health threats, it additionally implies that massive volumes of health knowledge could also be collected, linked, retained and shared on a seamless foundation, fairly than solely throughout emergency durations.

“From a data protection standpoint, it must first be noted that health data are categorised as sensitive personal data, which requires heightened protection obligations,” Babalola stated.

He stated the proposed methods would increase questions under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, notably over the lawfulness and function of processing, knowledge minimisation, retention durations, transparency and the secondary use and sharing of health info.

“The creation of interconnected databases also increases the possibility of profiling, unauthorised access, re-identification and function creep, where information initially collected for outbreak response is subsequently used for unrelated purposes,” he stated.

Babalola known as for safe and interoperable infrastructure, clear knowledge requirements, sturdy id and entry controls, encryption, audit trails, common vulnerability assessments and examined incident-response and disaster-recovery mechanisms.

He stated Nigeria would additionally require a robust governance framework defining who might accumulate, entry, share and retain health info and for what functions.

He added that residents ought to be adequately knowledgeable about how their health knowledge was getting used, whereas mechanisms ought to be established to deal with complaints and reply promptly to knowledge breaches.

“These safeguards should operate within the framework of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, so that the public-health value of integrated surveillance is pursued alongside confidentiality, security, accountability and respect for individuals’ data-protection rights,” Babalola stated.